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The start of the team figure skating competition at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games has delivered an unexpected narrative: although Team USA ended this Saturday's session at the top of the overall standings, the mood within the American camp is bittersweet after the debut of its biggest star, Ilia Malinin, who faced more difficulties than expected.
Malinin arrived in Milan as the man to beat and one of the nearly guaranteed gold medal hopes, but Olympic pressure and the rigor of the judges took their toll. Malinin finished in a surprising second place in the men's short program, trailing Japan's Yuma Kagiyama by ten points, as Kagiyama delivered a masterclass in what figure skating should be: a blend of athleticism and artistry.
The 21-year-old, a two-time world champion, performed below his best level in his program set to the video game soundtrack "The Lost Crown." Malinin's defeat was not due to a lack of jumps, but to execution. Judges penalized insufficient rotation on two of his elements, but the real blow came in the program components score.
Chock and Bates: Rock and roll for a world record
Fortunes were very different for the duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who stepped up to restore order and claim the spotlight. Skating to Lenny Kravitz, the reigning world champions electrified the rink to post a score of 91.06 points, the highest mark ever recorded in the rhythm dance.
"Obviously we skated amazingly and we're very happy, as you could see when we finished. I think we both felt the excitement of simply getting these Olympic Games underway," Bates said enthusiastically after securing the maximum 10 points for their delegation.
The performance was witnessed by Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who cheered on the Americans' routine.
Despite the fact that minutes earlier the new French pairing of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron had set a temporary record of 89.98 points, Chock remained unfazed by the competition: "We're not focused on that. We're just doing what we know how to do." Bates added, "It's a great start. It's always an amazing feeling to do it for the United States."
The final verdict will come on Sunday, with medals expected for the United States, although Malinin will need to mount a comeback.