US Wins Figure Skating Team Gold at Milan Cortina Olympics

Gold medalists of Team United States pose for a photo following the Medal Ceremony for the Team Event after the Men’s Single Skating-Free Skating Team Event on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 8, 2026. Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesMILAN—Ilia Malinin beat Japanese rival Shun Sato in a head-to-head showdown at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday night, helping the United States defend its team figure skating gold medal by breaking a deadlock with Japan in the final session of the competition.The 21-year-old nicknamed the “Quad God” landed five quadruple jumps and scored 200.03 points for his free skate, atoning for his mediocre short program—at least by his lofty standards—one night earlier. Sato followed him with three quads in his program, but he could only manage 194.86 points, leaving the Japanese with a second straight silver medal in the team event.