Figure skating is the oldest event within the Winter Olympics, and has historically been filled with the most drama and scandal. What skaters should you as a viewer be watching out for this season, and what possible scandals may unfurl?

Milano 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most intense figure skating competitions in recent history, with every discipline stacked full of the strongest athletes the sport has seen. 

The last Olympic cycle, Beijing 2022, was riddled with doping scandals, controversial judging and a women’s event that left fans concerned over athlete safety and well-being. Many fans have since nicknamed it the “death of figure skating.” The main controversy centred on Russian Olympic gold hopeful Kamilla Valieva, who was only 15 years old at the time. 

Although Valieva’s positive doping test was reportedly discovered prior to the ladies’ singles event, she was still allowed to compete, a decision that sparked criticism of the International Skating Union (ISU). While she did not medal in the ladies’ single event, her participation in the team event resulted in the postponement of the medal ceremony for more than two years. 

The final ruling on the doping case was not issued until 2024, when Kamila received a four-year ban from international competition, a ban that was lifted in December 2025. 

As with every Olympics, fans have identified early favourites, so who are they heading into Milano Cortina 2026? 

Men’s Singles 

In the Men’s event, the gold medal appears all but claimed by American skater Ilia Malinin. Nicknamed the Quad God, Malinin made history as the first and only skater in history to land a quadruple axel, a jump long considered impossible by both coaches and scientists. 

Malinin remains undefeated since he won silver at the Grand Prix de France in 2023, and is entering Milano Cortania as the overwhelming favourite for gold. 

Predicted to finish in second is Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, the three-time World silver medalist and the 2022 Olympic silver medalist. Kagiyama has announced his plan to include a quadruple flip in his free skate, a jump he has been struggling to land consistently this season. Will this risk pay off, or will including such a difficult element prove to be his downfall? 

Other notable names to watch out for include Frances Kevin Aymoz, known for his expressive and fun performances, and Canada’s Stephen Gogolev, whose performance at the Canadian National Championships secured him his position on the Olympic team. 

Women’s Singles 

The women’s event has long since been considered the most entertaining to watch and the most dramatic. Blending elite athleticism with intense pressure, showcasing the support of teammates and coaches, and, at times, drama and controversy.

In recent years, the women’s Olympic category has been haunted by what fans have dubbed the “Olympic favourite curse.” This myth entails a skater entering the Olympics as the fan favourite to win, but leaving without the gold medal due to the extreme pressure, injuries or even controversial scoring. Notable examples include Yuna Kim in 2014, Evgenia Medvedeva in 2018 and Kamilla Valieva in 2022. 

This year, the women’s event does not have a clear favourite to win, as the whole event is overrun with phenomenal athletes. So what names should you be watching out for? 

The American team, consisting of Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito, has emerged quickly as a fan favourite for their lighthearted team spirit. 

Amber Glenn is a beloved long-time favourite, and although she dominated her time in the junior field, her senior career has proved to be shaky. She is one of the first outwardly bisexual female skaters, and has become an avid advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and representation within the sport. 

After competing and placing sixth at Beijing 2022, Alysa Liu shocked fans by retiring at the age of 16. After announcing her return to the sport in March of 2024, she won gold at the World Championships, securing her position on the Olympic team. 

Japan’s triple threat of Kaori Sakamoto, Ami Nakai and Mone Chiba, are all contenders for an Olympic medal. For Sakamoto, this Olympic cycle will mark the end of her competitive season. The Beijing 2022 bronze medalist is known for her power and consistency on the ice and is considered a strong contender for the gold medal. 

The only Russian skater, competing as an individual neutral athlete, is Adeliia Petrosian. While Russia remains banned from international competition, the ISU has sanctioned one athlete in men’s and women’s disciplines to compete under complete neutrality. 

Canada has qualified for just one women’s entry this Olympic cycle, but four-time Canadian National Champion Madeline Schizas is a force to be reckoned with. This will be her second Olympic appearance after placing nineteenth in 2022. During the selection process for Milano 2026, she remarked in an interview with TSN, “Over my dead body is anyone else going to the Olympics,” referencing her competitor, Gabrielle Daleman, who recently returned to competition after suffering injuries. 

Pairs 

Canada has two teams in the pairs discipline: Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, and Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud. 

Stellato-Dudek’s story is one to remember. She began her career as a singles skater in 1999, later switching to pairs, where she competed for the U.S. until her retirement in 2001. 16 years later, she returned to competition at the age of 40 as a Canadian athlete. She then became the oldest woman to win a World Championship with her new partner, Maxime Deschamps. The pair also made history as the first skaters to attempt an assisted backflip at a ISU sanctioned competition. 

Ice Dance 

Canada has three entries for the pairs event: Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha; Marie-Jade Lauriault and Roman le Gac; and Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. 

This will be Lajoie and Lagha’s second Olympic cycle after placing 13th at Beijing 2022. Canadian ice dance legend Scott Moir described them as “the team that we’re all going to be watching in 2026,” referring to the 2026 Olympics. 

Gilles and Poirier remain fan favourites, known for their campy skating style and charismatic performances. As eight-time ISU Grand Prix Final gold medalists, this will be their third Olympics. Many fans consider this duo to be Canada’s best shot at ice dance gold. 

Internationally, fans have narrowed down the contenders for ice dance gold to American pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates, and Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson. 

In recent news, the ice dance community has been unsettled by rumours of bribery and biased judging. The Ice Dance Academy of Montreal has been churning out Olympic champions since its founding in 2014, with the last three gold medalists being trained at the academy. While once dominant, fans have noticed a decline in the performance among its teams, along with reports of unexplained score deductions for skaters without affiliation to the academy. 

The majority of top contenders for Olympic gold are affiliated with the Academy, including Chock and Bates, Fear and Gibson and both French pairs. Notably, Gilles and Poirier are the only Canadian ice dance pair not currently training at the Montreal Academy, while Lajoie and Lagha, as well as Lauriault and Le Gac, are currently training there. 

As Milano Cortania 2026 quickly approaches, the sport is finding itself entering one of the most competitive Olympic cycles yet. Meanwhile, concerns over judging, fairness and athlete welfare continue to shape expectations fans have of the events. The question remains, will the focus be on the athlete’s performance, or on controversy and drama once again?