MILAN – After three days of dramatic competition, the United States claimed the gold medal in the figure skating team event on Sunday, February 8, 2026. The victory, secured by a narrow margin, marks the first medal of the Games for the U.S. Figure skating team.
The Americans entered the final day of the event tied with Japan, setting the stage for a tense men’s free skate – the last segment of the competition. All eyes were on Ilia Malinin, the two-time reigning world champion, making his Olympic debut.
Malinin, who had struggled with nerves during his short program on Saturday, delivered a powerful performance on Sunday, executing five quadruple jumps. His routine, set to music from the television show “The Voice,” electrified the crowd and earned him a score of 200.03.
“I was more nervous watching Ilia than I was [skating] myself,” said Danny O’Shea, U.S. Team captain and pairs skater.
Despite Malinin’s strong showing, the competition remained close. Japan’s Shun Sato then took the ice, delivering a clean skate with three quadruple jumps, but ultimately falling just short with a score of 194.
The U.S. Team’s victory was also bolstered by a strong performance from Danny O’Shea and Ellie Kam in the pairs competition. The duo, skating in their Olympic debut, scored a personal best in their free skate, contributing significantly to the team’s overall score.
Kam and O’Shea’s journey to the Olympics has been marked by resilience and determination. O’Shea, now 35, overcame years of near misses and a recent foot surgery to compete in his first Games. Kam, 21, recovered from a concussion last summer to join him on the ice.
“I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t because I was so happy, so then we both ended up screaming at each other,” Kam said, reflecting on the team’s elation after the win.
The pair emphasized the importance of enjoying the moment and fostering a positive team atmosphere. “Joy is something that we discussed as a team, just trying to enjoy every single moment. I think the crowd could feel it,” Kam added.
O’Shea, who retired from competitive skating twice before returning to partner with Kam, spoke about the challenges and rewards of their partnership. “We really had to work on it a lot – not only with the age difference, with the gender difference, we’re very different people,” he said. “But we’ve learned so much about ourselves in the past four years.”
The U.S. Team’s gold medal finish came ahead of Japan, who took silver, and Italy, who secured the bronze. The United States now leads the medal count in figure skating with one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals, followed by France with one gold and one bronze, and Italy and Canada with one bronze each.
Kam and O’Shea will compete again in the pairs competition, alongside Spencer Howe and Emily Chan, on Sunday and Monday, hoping to add to the U.S. Medal tally.
