Skating
Launching right into my predictions for competitions on the ice, Ilia Malinin is my top choice in the men’s single skating free skate competition. Nicknamed the “Quad God” after landing the first quad axel jump in competition, Malinin’s first Olympic games will certainly not be his last. I expect to see many beautifully executed quadruple rotations in his program.
As for the women’s single skating free skate competition, a power trio is gracing the ice this season and providing a fresh yet classic vibe to Milan. Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito topped the podium at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis and they’re showing great promise for doing it again in Milan.
At 26, Glenn has led her seasonal free skate programs with her spectacular triple axel. Although she is one of the oldest to qualify as a U.S. women’s singles skater, this is her first Olympic games and she is determined to defend her third straight title as the U.S. Champion.
Liu has been making waves as she returns to the ice two years after her bronze medal win in the Beijing 2022 Winter Games and subsequent retirement. The 20-year-old skater has come back on her own terms and is heavily involved in the development of her programs, bringing a modern edge to her competition that is so authentic in the rink.
Liu walked away with the silver medal in the U.S. Championships and has been very supportive of her fellow teammates. She even referred to the trio as embodiments of the Will Ferrell comedy “Blades of Glory” at a press conference following their win, a counterpoint to Glenn and Levito’s proposed 2005 film “Ice Princess.”
Levito is the youngest member of the group at 18 and her programs have shown nothing but elegance throughout the season. Although she finished third on the podium, her Olympic debut will without a doubt be a graceful representation of herself and her team.
The pair to watch for the ice dance competition are the seven-time national champions, three-time and current world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates. Chock and Bates took home the gold in a team event at Beijing 2022 and have also represented the U.S. in 2014 and 2018. The married couple’s chemistry makes their performance connected and effortless as they plan to place first in their fourth time together at the games.
Hockey
The USA hockey team has players from across professional leagues with Jake Sanderson and Brock Faber returning to the games from the Ottawa Senators and the Minnesota Wild, respectively. Additionally, 23 players will make their Olympic debut, with 21 from the team having represented the U.S. at the 4 Nations Face-Off last year.
I’m hoping to see a competitive USA versus Canada game, as many professional teammates are facing off while competing for their home countries. My hometown team, the Vegas Golden Knights, will have nine players representing six different countries with Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin competing for Team USA.
Snow Boarding
Out of the ice and into the snow, two-time gold medalist Chloe Kim showed great promise for her run in the women’s snowboard halfpipe competition. However, she tore her labrum on Jan. 8 while she was training in Laax, Switzerland.
Kim won her first gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang and became the youngest woman to win the competition at 17. Although she has under a month to recover, the reigning champion has given the all-clear for her participation in the games on Feb. 11. Hopefully, her injury won’t put too much strain on her performance as she rides into first place.
Ski
Finally, I have to mention two spectacular alpine ski racers that are going to do everything it takes to take home the gold, especially as they make their rise back to the top.
Lindsey Vonn made a huge comeback in the downhill and super-G at Crans Montana as she has topped the World Cup podium twice in the past two months and became the oldest to win the race at 41. However, Vonn wiped out during a World Cup race on Friday morning and was airlifted off of the course; her status for participation in the Olympics is now unknown.
On the flip side, Mikaela Shiffrin is well on her way to establishing herself as one of the greats. She hopes to win her third Olympic gold medal in February as she competes in giant slalom and slalom as well as team events.
I’m excited to watch Team USA show off its incredible talent this winter and hopefully they’ll bring home some shiny new hardware to prove it. Make sure to tune in to NBC and Peacock from Feb. 6-22 to catch all the Olympic competitions and festivities. Go Team USA!