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Maxim Naumov; Alysa Liu; Madison Chock and Evan Bates
NEED TO KNOW
- Sixteen Team USA figure skaters are headed to the Winter Olympics!
- Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, Madison Chock and Evan Bates are some of the stars who will vie for gold at the 2026 Milan Games
- Maxim Naumov secured a spot on the men’s team — along with Ilia Malinin and Andrew Torgashev — nearly one year after his parents tragically died in the D.C. plane crash
Team USA’s figure skating roster is set!
On Sunday, Jan. 11, 16 athletes were named to the team that will represent the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan next month.
The team was announced after the conclusion of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, where athletes from around the country vied for a coveted spot on the team.
Three men, three women, three ice dance teams and two pairs teams comprise the U.S. contingent set for Italy. The USFS selection process took into account past performances over the past two seasons.
Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito were chosen for the women’s team, while ice dance duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates will head to their fourth Olympics together. Ice dance pairs Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik and Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko also made the team.
The pairs teams selected are Ellie Kam and Daniel O’Shea, and Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe.
The three men tapped for the team are Maxim Naumov, Ilia Malinin and Andrew Torgashev.
Jamie Squire/Getty
Amber Glenn competes in the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Jan. 7
Naumov tragically lost both of his parents in the Washington, D.C., plane crash nearly one year ago. Reflecting on what his parents would think of his Olympic achievement, Naumov said at the team announcement event in St. Louis: “I really hope that my mom watched because she never used to watch me skate. But they say we’re proud of you, but job’s not finished, we’re just getting started.”
Torgashev shared his excitement about securing a spot on the team, saying, “The reality is better than what I imagined. My God, this is awesome.”
Among the standout performances at nationals, Malinin, aka the “Quad God,” placed first in the competition.
Joosep Martinson – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty
Ilia Malinin in March 2025
On Thursday, Jan. 8, the 21-year-old Virginia native delivered a short program featuring two quadruple jumps and a back flip, described by onlookers as “mind-boggling,” and entered Saturday’s free skate with a 20-point-plus lead.
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“I just came into this competition just to see what happens out there and I impressed myself, I didn’t know I could skate that good,” Malinin said afterwards.
Tomoki Hiwatashi earned an 89.26 for second place, while Jason Brown posted an 88.49 for third.
On the women’s side, Glenn, Liu and Levito posted strong showings, while Chock and Bates rhythm dance sailed themselves into first place early in the competition.
Jamie/Getty
Madison Chock and Evan Bates compete during the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Jan. 10
Glenn has made history before she even takes the ice in Italy. At 26, she is the oldest female U.S. singles skater in 98 years.
In advance of the Winter Games, Glenn sat down with PEOPLE and shared her perspective on her road to qualifying for Olympic competition.
“I’m looking forward to this journey,” she said. “It’s been a long, very difficult road.”
Read the original article on People
