Figure Skater's Costume Drama Ahead of 2026 Olympics

Christina Carreira's missing costumes delayed her arrival in Italy for the Winter Games.

Feb. 2, 2026 at 10:39am

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Figure skater Christina Carreira was caught in a last-minute costume crisis ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Carreira, who was born in Montreal but earned U.S. citizenship in November to compete for Team USA, departed for the Olympics without her competition costumes after a shipping issue with FedEx. Her costume designer pleaded for help on social media to locate the missing items, which were eventually found and delivered just in time for Carreira to arrive in Italy and prepare for the Games.

Why it matters

Carreira's costume crisis highlights the logistical challenges and high stakes that Olympic athletes face in the lead-up to the Games. With the Olympics just days away, any disruption to an athlete's preparation can be hugely detrimental. This story also showcases the tight-knit figure skating community that came together to help Carreira resolve the issue.

The details

Carreira, a 25-year-old ice dancer, disclosed on Instagram that she had departed for the Olympics without her costumes after FedEx failed to deliver them on time. The costumes were shipped on Saturday, January 25th, but got stuck at the FedEx facility in Memphis since Monday, January 27th, despite repeated calls from Carreira's team. Her costume designer, Lisa McKinnon, also took to social media to plead for help in locating the missing items. Through a connection at U.S. Figure Skating, the package was eventually found and delivered to Carreira just in time for her to arrive in Italy and prepare for the Olympics.

  • On January 25th, Carreira's costumes were shipped.
  • On January 27th, the costumes got stuck at the FedEx facility in Memphis.
  • On January 29th, McKinnon posted on Instagram about the missing costumes.
  • On January 30th, the costumes were located and delivered to Carreira.

The players

Christina Carreira

A 25-year-old figure skater who was born in Montreal but earned U.S. citizenship in November 2025 to compete for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Lisa McKinnon

The designer behind Carreira's Olympic costumes.

FedEx

The shipping company responsible for delivering Carreira's costumes, which got stuck at their Memphis facility.

Anthony Ponomarenko

Carreira's ice dance partner, who is a San Jose, California native.

U.S. Figure Skating

The national governing body for figure skating in the United States, which helped Carreira locate her missing costumes.

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What they’re saying

“We're heartbroken and so incredibly disappointed with you! We really really need you to come through for us right now!! We have an Olympic costume that has allegedly been 'stuck' at the memphis fedex facility since Sunday. It was supposed to be delivered on Monday before 8:30am and it's now Thursday and the skaters are literally on their way to the Olympics in Milan without the costume!!!”

— Lisa McKinnon, Costume Designer

“This summer, applying for citizenship, I was getting pretty stressed. You actually have to sign up for the Olympics, and you need to give a passport. And obviously my passport wasn't approved.”

— Christina Carreira

What’s next

Carreira and her partner Anthony Ponomarenko are now in Italy and preparing to compete for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, which begin on February 6th and run through February 22nd.

The takeaway

This costume drama highlights the immense logistical challenges and high stakes that Olympic athletes face in the lead-up to the Games. Despite the last-minute hurdle, Carreira's perseverance and the support of her community allowed her to overcome this obstacle and make it to the Olympics to represent the United States.