Scoreography

Olympic figure skating competition is complete at the Winter Games in Milano Cortina — but the show wasn't over! The Olympic Exhibition Gala allowed medalists and other notable skaters to perform a wide range of entertaining programs, showcasing artistry, acting prowess, and lots of humor. Women's champion Alysa Liu dazzled with a new dress and new dance number. Men's winner Mikhail Shaidorov delivered his fan-favorite Kung-Fu Panda program, complete with full-body panda suit! Pairs silver medalists Metelkina Berulava combined Mortal Kombat with Spandau Ballet. Korea's Haein Lee transformed into a Kpop Demon Hunter. Estonia's Niina Petrokina unalived her male counterparts in the theatrical Cell Block Tango. And USA's Ilia Malinin mesmerized with a high impact performance addressing the pressures and media attention athletes face in the spotlight. We also highlight some of our favorite moments from Olympic figure skating overall, and pick our ultimate Gold in our Hearts recipients from these Games. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:45 Your Input Needed! 00:03:12 The Olympic Gala 00:04:35 Carolina Kostner and Team Italy 00:06:36 Ami Nakai 00:11:05 Amber Glenn 00:13:32 Junhwan Cha 00:15:25 Adeliia Petrosian 00:17:01 Metelkina and Berulava 00:19:11 Niina Petrokina 00:21:54 Adam Siao Him Fa 00:24:46 Haein Lee 00:27:26 Yuma Kagiyama 00:29:58 Kaori Sakamoto 00:32:06 Ilia Malinin 00:37:44 Mikhail Shaidorov 00:40:13 Alysa Liu 00:45:01 Figure Skater Flag Bearers 00:45:57 Other Favorite Olympic Moments 00:59:48 Gold in our Hearts 01:02:14 Wrap-Up

The figure skating competition at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games comes to a glorious conclusion with the women's event! USA's golden girl, Alysa Liu, comes through in the clutch with a flawless free skate and climbs to the top of the podium. Queen Kaori Sakamoto holds onto Silver with two incredible skates, and claims her home in our hearts forever. And while Ami Nakai can't maintain the first place ranking she earned in the short, she still brings home the Bronze with abundant charisma and joy. What an event! Everyone in the top ten was terrific, and there are performances to celebrate even down into 20th. The women of figure skating dazzled, showed courage and grit (looking at you, Amber Glenn), and finished off Olympic competition in grand style. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:38 The Women's Olympic Podium 00:22:39 The Rest of the Top 10 00:41:49 Outside the Top 10 00:53:03 Gold in our Hearts 00:54:39 Wrap-Up  

The Olympic Pairs event was everything we needed to restore our faith in Milano Cortina figure skating. An astounding, World Record breaking, come-from-behind victory for Miura & Kihara earned the first-ever Japanese Pairs medal. Two terrific skates from Metelkina & Berulava garnered Silver and Georgia's first-ever Winter Games medal. And Hase & Volodin followed up a magical short program with a shaky free skate that just managed to lock a Bronze for Germany.  The rest of the top ten was populated with strong performances and a few disappointing finishes, but still so much to be proud of. With so many displays of great sportsmanship and good vibes, the entire event left us feeling warm and happy — which we hope carries over into the Women's event... Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:08 Olympic Pairs Podium Results 00:17:01 4th-6th placements 00:25:52 Teams 7th and below 00:37:33 Gold in our Hearts 00:41:30 Look ahead to the Women's event 00:44:01 Wrap-Up

The final competitive figure skating event of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina is upon us! The Women's competition gives us the deepest field of skaters who are likely to challenge for a medal. Expect the competition to be fierce as these women all hunt for their Olympic moment. It's our 100th episode! We forgot to talk about it 😅 but we really appreciate you joining us for this milestone, and thanks to everyone who has supported us along the way! We discuss the women we perceive as the top eight contenders, based on best scores of the season: Kaori Sakamoto, Ami Nakai, Alysa Liu, Niina Petrokina, Amber Glenn, Mone Chiba, and Adeliia Petrosian. But we're not counting out any of the dark horse podium possibilities, including Jia Shin, Anastasiia Gubanova, Lara Naki Gutmann, Sofia Samodelkina, and Haein Lee. We also take some time to address feedback on our previous episode about the men's olympic final — specifically many commenters' misunderstanding of the episode's opening observations. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:16 Addressing the previous episodes and responses 00:12:26 Top Women's Competitors 00:37:41 The Dark Horse Candidates 00:49:04 Podium Predictions 00:51:40 Prediction Success So Far; State of the Games 00:55:44 Wrap-up

In a stunning, dramatic upset, Kazakstan's Mikhail Shaidorov won gold in the Men's competition at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina. Japan's Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato took the silver and bronze medals, as many predicted, but with shaky performances. Yet the skate most will be talking about was the shocking collapse of "Quad God" Ilia Malinin in the free program, plummeting the expected champion from 1st to 8th place overall. In this recap and reaction to the men's final, we do our best to celebrate the winners while examining how things went horribly awry for the star of USA men's figure skating. Looking ahead, we also preview the Pairs competition, starting this weekend, including our podium predictions. We're thrilled for Mikhail, who put together two fantastic skates, coming through in the clutch again as the hero of Kazakstan skating. But, of course, we're also incredibly heartbroken for Ilia, who had the worst skate of his career at exactly the worst moment. After 3 undefeated years, the pressure of Olympic ice overwhelmed him. It's a result nobody saw coming — though we should have listened closer to Wendy's "crystal ball" from our preview episode... Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:33 The Men's Olympic Podium 00:17:50 NBC-ification 00:23:04 Ilia Malinin 00:38:24 The Rest of the Men's Field 00:48:55 Gold in our Hearts 00:51:17 Pairs Preview 00:57:20 Pairs Podium Predictions 00:59:38 Wrap-Up

Olympic Ice Dance REACTION — 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games After a wonderful Team competition, Olympic figure skating in Milano Cortina hits its first big controversy. The individual Ice Dance event ends with France's Fournier-Beaudry & Cizeron in gold, despite several visible errors in both programs. Meanwhile, Chock & Bates are awarded silver even with two dynamic, clean performances. Gilles & Poirier take home the bronze, capping their Olympics with a magnificent, emotional free dance. We dig into why the outcome of this event felt neither fair nor surprising, after a season of shoddy, questionable judging. And, despite our anger and frustration, we revisit all of the memorable performances that made the competition great — including fantastic skates from Zingas & Kolesnik, Guignard & Fabbri, Smart & Dieck, and Lopareva & Brissaud. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro and Ice Dance Controversy 00:03:23 Ice Dance Podium 00:20:09 The Rest of the Top Ten 00:36:58 Outside the Top Ten 00:46:14 Overall thoughts on the competition 00:51:32 Gold in our Hearts 00:53:45 Wrap-Up

After a dramatic Team Figure Skating event, the Men prepare to take center stage in the individual competition at the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games. We walk you through the front runners, including USA's "Quad God" Ilia Malinin, and Japan's stars Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato. But there are plenty of dark horses in the mix who could shake up the results and the podium. Kazakstan's Mikhail Shaidorov, France's Adam Siao Him Fa, Italy's Daniel Grassl, Korea's Junhwan Cha, and Georgia's Nika Egadze are all capable of big jumps and big scores. Russian's "neutral" athelete, Petr Gumennik—largely unseen in international competition but highly successful at home—also presents a potential podium spoiler.   Beyond the medals and even the battle for the Top Ten, though, are another dozen skaters worth watching and cheering on. The potential for record breaking scores exists side-by-side with looming disaster as these athletes throw the most technically challenging programs possible. Fortune favors the brave, but sometimes the ice has other ideas... Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:38 Podium Favorites 00:16:49 The Dark Horse Contenders 00:44:41 Other Men Worth Watching 00:55:10 Predictions 01:00:20 Wrap-Up  

The first figure skating event of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games is officially complete! The Team Competition exceeded all expectations, delivering truly world class performances, and a last possible moment showdown to decide gold.  The United States team took victory in dramatic fashion, via dominant ice dance showings from Chock & Bates, a clutch free skate from Kam & O'Shea, and a final heroic effort from Ilia Malinin.  Japan took silver, missing the top of the podium by only a single point. Kaori Sakamoto, Yuma Kagiyama, and Miura & Kihara posted career high scores and likely-to-be-legendary performances. Shun Sato came up just short in the final skate, despite an exceptional, nearly flawless program. But it's the home country Bronze finish for Team Italy that pulled the most heartstrings. Stellar appearances from Guignard & Fabbri, Lara Naki Gutmann, and Conti & Macii put the podium in play for the Italians. But it was the sensational free program from Matteo Rizzo that locked third place and a coveted Olympic medal.  Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:59 Team Event Overview 00:02:59 Gold - USA 00:14:54 Silver - Japan 00:29:04 Bronze - Italy 00:37:12 Rest of the Competition 00:51:28 Gold in our Hearts 00:53:36 Wrap-Up

The 2026 Olympic Games figure skating competition kicks off in Milano Cortina with the Team Event. Ten countries. Three medals. Zero room for error. We examine the teams most likely to vie for the podium, and which ones probably won't make the free skate. Many of the competitors haven't been officially announced yet, so we conjecture on which skaters will take part, and the strategy behind those choices. With world champions in the mix — like Ilia Malinin, Kaori Sakamoto, Alysa Liu, Muira & Kihara, Chock & Bates, and Sui & Han — expect the competition to be FIERCE in Italy. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:45 ISU disables VPN access on YouTube 00:05:38 Team Event Preview 00:11:29 Team USA 00:18:24 Team Japan 00:20:46 Team Georgia 00:22:31 Team Italy 00:25:45 Team Canada 00:30:16 Team France 00:32:47 Team China 00:35:02 South Korea 00:37:18 Team Poland 00:38:54 Team Great Britain 00:42:02 Predictions 00:44:34 Wrap-Up

The Olympics are upon us, and we're here to help you get ready to watch Ice Dance! We walk you through the top 5 teams battling for the podium, and explain why there's one fight for Gold and another for Bronze. We thoroughly break down the competition between podium hopefuls Madison Chock & Evan Bates (USA), Laurence Fournier-Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron (France), Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier (Canada), Charlene Guignard & Marco Fabbri (Italy), and Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson (Great Britain). But there are plenty of other excellent teams in the hunt for a top 10 finish, so we give you a complete rundown of who to keep an eye on. Plus: GLITTER AND GOLD — Did you hear us in the new Netflix ice dance documentary?! (Yes, you did, and no, we didn't know it was happening!) Chapters 00:00:00 Glitter and Gold 00:02:36 Olympic Ice Dance Preview 00:05:50 The Fight for Gold 00:17:09 The Fight for Bronze 00:24:46 The Spoiler Candidates 00:37:44 Other Teams to Watch 00:43:56 Podium Predictions 00:48:49 Looking Ahead 00:55:08 Wrap-Up    

We dive into the last major competition before the 2026 Olympics, Four Continents Championships in Beijing, China. We celebrate the surprise but oh-so-satisfying victory from Japan's Yuna Aoki. An Ice Dance gold medal should give an extra boost to USA's Zingas & Kolesnik as they prepare for Milano Cortina. The same could be said for Olympics-bound Kao Muira, who will represent Japan at the Games as well. And America's Efimova & Mitrofanov score an unexpected win over the legendary Sui & Han in the Pairs event. But there were thrilling skates all down the rankings, too, as well as some wonderful moments of sportsmanship. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:44 Women's Event 00:23:30 Dance Competition 00:32:41 Men's Competition 00:49:56 Pairs Competition 00:59:30 Gold in our Hearts 01:01:28 Wrap-Up / Look Ahead #FigureSkating #ISUfigureskating #4ContsFigure

We react to the 2026 European Figure Skating Championships event in England, featuring a historic repeat win from Estonia's Niina Petrokina, two Georgian golds in Pairs and Men's, and a slightly surprising outcome in Ice Dance. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:45 Ice Dance 00:20:55 Women's Competition 00:32:10 Pairs Competition 00:41:09 Men's Competition 00:56:00 Canadian Nationals 01:03:42 Four Continents Preview 01:07:29 Gold in our Hearts 01:08:26 Wrap-Up

The much anticipated 2026 US National Figure Skating Championships were everything they promised to be: thrilling, tense, bittersweet, and revelatory! The week-long event happened in our hometown of St. Louis, and we were on-site throughout the event to witness historic skates and the selection of the Olympic team.  The Women's and Ice Dance events delivered powerhouse performances that will go down as some of the best Nationals competitions of all times. The Men's event featured shocking twists, tear-jerking surprises, and a dominant win from Ilia Malinin. And the Pairs ended with two thirds of its podium ineligible for Olympic spots, creating a disparity between the medal winners and our representatives in Milan.  We give you our firsthand account from the arena, and discuss why this one of the greatest US championships ever! Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:54 Women's Competition 00:36:42 Ice Dance Competition 01:04:23 Men's Competition 01:40:27 Pairs Competition 01:55:18 Gold in our Hearts 01:58:55 Wrap-Up

It's our first episode of 2026, and we're preparing for US Nationals — which will be held in our home city of St. Louis! We preview the upcoming competition with a laser focus on the biggest stakes: who will represent the USA at the Olympics. From virtually guaranteed locks like Ilia Malinin, Chock & Bates, and Alysa Liu, to the uncertainty around the pairs and additional dance spots, there's so much to be excited—and anxious—about. We also cover the results of this past weekend's Korean Nationals, including Olympics selections for Junhwan Cha, Haein Lee, and Jia Shin.   Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:04:17 Women's Competition Preview 00:20:50 Ice Dance Competition 00:35:55 Men's Competition 00:48:56 Pairs Competition 01:00:50 Korean Nationals Results 01:10:22 Wrap-Up

As 2025 comes to a close, we catch up on a bunch of last minute figure skating news: citizenships, announcements, Olympic teams, a combined ISU Worlds event (?), and much more. We also recap our top Gold in Our Hearts moments for the year. And we share our appreciation for our listeners and community, including a particularly touching Christmas Eve message from an audience member. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:49 We'll be at US Nationals! 00:04:37 Skating News 00:20:50 ISU Combined Worlds Events 00:32:01 Four Continents announcements 00:43:30 Listener support and Poetry! 00:48:22 2025 Gold in our Hearts Moments 00:56:54 Wrap-Up

All-Japan Championships 2025 gave us an Olympics-worthy collection of amazing performances — including final competitive skates from several of our favorite athletes. Kaori Sakamoto and Yuma Kagiyama clinched their Olympic spots, and Yuna Aoki gave two of the finest programs of any skater this season. We also talk about the results of the French and Italian nationals events, including their locks for Olympic teams.   Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:10 Women's Event 00:33:07 Men's Compeititon 00:44:32 Pairs Compeition 00:47:14 Ice Dance Competition 00:52:09 French Nationals 00:58:44 Italian Nationals 01:08:21 Gold in our Hearts 01:09:38 Wrap-Up

We preview the All-Japan Figure Skating Championships (Japanese Nationals) and its hotly contested Olympic team outcomes. We also look back at the Junior Grand Prix Final, particularly the very exciting junior women's event. Golden Spin 2025 receives a recap as well, along with a number of other smaller federation national championships. As mentioned in the episode, here is Rocker Skating's resource for how each federation selects its Olympic teams. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:06 J-Nats Women's Competition 00:11:59 J-Nats Men's Competition 00:16:16 J-Nats Pairs Competition 00:17:34 J-Nats Ice Dance Competition 00:20:19 French Nationals 00:24:21 Italian Nationals Preview 00:30:57 German Nationals 00:32:08 Four Nationals 00:34:51 Estonian Nationals 00:36:18 Finnish Nationals 00:38:59 Junior Grand Prix Final Recap 00:39:18 JGPF Women's Competition 00:50:26 JGPF Men's Competition 00:55:13 JGPF Pairs — Guo and Zhang 00:56:13 JGPF Ice Dance — Abonian and Veselukhin 00:58:15 Golden Spin recap 01:09:17 Wrap-Up

The Grand Prix Final in Japan took us on a rollercoaster of emotions. Ilia Malinin shattered his own world record. Alysa Liu is golden once again. The pairs competition was outstanding. And ice dance somehow managed to generate even more controversy, outcry, and shocking twists. Chapters 0:00 — Intro 03:34 — Pairs Competition 04:22 — Miura and Kihara 08:17 — Conti and Macii 12:41 — Hase and Volodin 15:32 — Metelkina and Berulava 18:50 — Pavlova and Svietchenko 20:10 — Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps 23:45 — Women's Competition 24:36 — Alysa Liu 29:24 — Ami Nakai 33:41 — Kaori Sakamoto 36:14 — Amber Glenn 38:53 — Mone Chiba 45:00 — Rinka Watanabe 52:15 — Ice Dance Competition 54:34 — Chock and Bates 1:00:25 — Fournier-Beaudry and Cizerone 1:07:52 — FB/C vs F/G vs G/P scoring 1:11:00 — Fear and Gibson vs Gilles and Poirier Scoring Controversy 1:18:09 — Social Media Backlash 1:19:54 — Reed and Ambrulevicius, Zingas and Kolesnik 1:25:41 — Men's Competition 1:30:05 — Yuma Kagiyama 1:34:16 — Shun Sato 1:36:28 — Daniel Grassl 1:42:25 — Adam Siao Him Fa 1:45:15 — Mikhail Shaidorov 1:50:47 — Gold in our Hearts 1:53:15 — Wrap-Up

We get ready for the 2025 Grand Prix Final with a rundown of all the competitors across the 4 disciplines, comparing their scores and performances so far this season, and making our (highly dubious) podium predictions. Chapters 0:00 — Intro 1:58 — Men's Competition 19:09 — Men's Podium Predictions 20:47 — Pairs Competition 34:09 — Pairs Podium Predictions 35:39 — Women's Competition 52:57 — Women's Podium Predictions 56:16 — Ice Dance Competition 1:21:20 — Ice Dance Podium Predictions 1:22:59 — Other Skating News 1:24:23 — Talinn Trophy 1:28:00 — South Korean Ranking Competition 1:32:16 — Wrap-Up

The final 2025 Grand Prix qualifier event provided a terrific women's competition, more judging controversies in ice dance, plus blood, tears, and several truly memorable, beautiful performances. Chapters 0:00 — Intro 0:31 — Dance Scoring Controversy 19:47 — Errors and Incompetency 21:21 — Ice Dance Competition 47:50 — Ice Dance GPF Qualifiers 49:47 — Men's Competition 1:02:54 — Men's GPF Qualifiers 1:03:38 — Pairs Competition 1:12:21 — Pairs GPF Qualifiers 1:14:27 — Women's Competition 1:29:00 — Women's GPF Qualifiers 1:30:32 — Gold in our Hearts 1:32:04 — Warsaw Cup 1:36:19 — Wrap-Up