USA Wins Gold in Olympic Team Skating Competition

Ilea Malinin's strong free skate performance secures victory for Team USA.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The United States figure skating team won the gold medal in the Olympic team skating competition in Milan, Italy. Ilea Malinin, the two-time defending World champion, delivered a dramatic free skate performance that included a one-footed back flip to clinch the victory for the Americans. This comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Russia's Kamila Valieva, who had initially won gold in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, was banned for four years due to a doping violation, elevating the U.S. team to the gold medal position.

Why it matters

The U.S. team's gold medal victory comes after a long legal battle over the doping scandal involving the Russian skater Kamila Valieva at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. This win restores the U.S. team's status as Olympic champions and provides redemption after the controversy surrounding the previous team competition.

The details

With the U.S. and Japan tied going into the final round, Malinin overcame an early stumble in his free skate to deliver a powerful performance that included a quad salchow, triple Axel sequence, and a one-footed back flip. His score of 200.03 surpassed Japan's Shun Sato, securing the gold medal for the Americans. However, the U.S. team also faced some nervous moments, as three-time U.S. champion Amber Glenn had a disappointing third-place finish in the women's free skate.

  • The 2026 Winter Olympics team skating competition took place on February 8, 2026 in Milan, Italy.
  • In December 2021, Russian skater Kamila Valieva tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug, which should have disqualified her and stripped Russia of the 2022 Beijing Olympics team gold medal.
  • It took 721 days for the Court of Arbitration for Sport to ban Valieva for four years and order her to forfeit any titles, awards, medals, profits, prizes and appearance money after December 25, 2021.

The players

Ilea Malinin

A two-time defending World champion figure skater who delivered a dramatic free skate performance to clinch the gold medal for the U.S. team.

Amber Glenn

A three-time U.S. champion figure skater who had a disappointing third-place finish in the women's free skate, leaving points on the table for the U.S. team.

Kamila Valieva

A 15-year-old Russian figure skater who initially won gold for the Russian team in the 2022 Beijing Olympics team competition, but was later banned for four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a doping violation.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We came here to do one job and we achieved it.”

— Ilea Malinin

“If an average person were to watch, they'd probably be like, 'Oh, it's fine. Just a few little things,' but as skating people we know, there were many, many, many points left out on the table.”

— Amber Glenn, three-time U.S. champion

What’s next

The International Skating Union will now officially update the record books to reflect the U.S. team as the gold medalists in the 2022 Olympic team skating competition.

The takeaway

This victory for the U.S. figure skating team not only restores their status as Olympic champions, but also serves as redemption after the long-running doping scandal involving the Russian skater Kamila Valieva. It demonstrates the resilience and determination of the American team to overcome adversity and reclaim their rightful place atop the podium.