Team USA Clinches Figure Skating Team Gold as Olympic Dream Team Delivers on Final Day

Team USA's star-studded figure skating roster delivered when it mattered most on Sunday, capturing the gold medal in the team event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with a commanding performance across all three final free skate disciplines. The Americans, who entered the final day with a five-point lead over Japan and Italy, successfully defended their advantage to claim Olympic glory at the Forum di Milano.

The defending champions from 2022 showcased the depth and quality that made them overwhelming favorites entering the competition. World champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates set the foundation with their ice dance mastery, while two-time world champion Ilia Malinin and women's representative Amber Glenn delivered crucial performances in their respective free skate programs to seal the victory. The U.S. finished with 44 points entering the final day, and their strong showings in the pairs, women's, and men's free skates ensured they maintained their position atop the podium.

Chock and Bates, the only returning members from the 2022 gold medal-winning team, proved instrumental to the American success. The three-time world champions posted consecutive season's-best scores, including a remarkable 133.23 in their free dance on Saturday that gave the U.S. crucial separation heading into Sunday's finale. Their experience and consistency provided the team with a reliable foundation that never wavered under Olympic pressure.

Malinin, nicknamed the 'Quad God' for his unprecedented quadruple axel ability, represented the U.S. in the men's free skate despite finishing second to Japan's Yuma Kagiyama in the short program segment on Saturday. The 21-year-old's redemptive performance in the free skate helped secure the team gold, even though he chose not to attempt his signature 4 1/2-rotation jump in the team event. His earlier second-place finish of 98.00 points to Kagiyama's stunning 108.67 had tightened the competition, making Sunday's final performances even more critical.

The victory represents a continuation of American dominance in the figure skating team event, which was first introduced at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The U.S. roster for Milano Cortina 2026 featured 16 skaters, with Alysa Liu representing the women in the short program and Chock/Bates anchoring the ice dance segments. The team's combination of reigning world champions across multiple disciplines proved too formidable for their competitors to overcome.

Japan, led by the sensational Kagiyama and 2022 silver medalist at just 22 years old, pushed the Americans throughout the competition but ultimately settled for a medal position behind the U.S. Italy, competing on home ice with tremendous support from the Milan crowd, also factored into the medal conversation but couldn't overcome the American juggernaut. The final day's free skate programs in pairs, women's, and men's categories determined the final medal standings, with all three events wrapping up Sunday afternoon at the Forum di Milano.