We're less than a month away from the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and it's time to find out which figure skaters will represent Team USA in Milan.
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships this week are the closing argument for skaters hoping to impress the selection committee and earn their ticket to Italy.
Some selections are foregone conclusions. Three-time world champion ice dance duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates are expected to lead Team USA along with two-time world champ Ilia Malinin, and Alysa Liu and Amber Glenn appear to have strong medal chances in the women's field.
There are still decisions to be made, though, and the clock is ticking. Here's when we will learn who will represent Team USA at next month's Winter Games.
When is USA Olympic figure skating team announcement?
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 11
- Time: 2 p.m. ET
The U.S. Team for Milan Cortina will be revealed Sunday afternoon in St. Louis, Missouri. The team announcement will come in conjunction with an exhibition performance by select skaters.
LIVE: Updated U.S. Figure Skating Championships results
Where to watch USA Olympic figure skating team announcement
- TV channel: NBC
- Live stream: Peacock
The U.S. Olympic team announcement and skating exhibition will be broadcast live on NBC. Cord-cutters can also stream the event live on Peacock.
Peacock’s sports programming features live coverage of NFL Sunday Night Football, the NBA, Olympic and Paralympic Games, Big Ten football and basketball, Notre Dame football, Big East and Big 12 basketball, Premier League soccer, golf, and more.
How many USA figure skaters go to the Olympics in 2026?
The U.S. Figure skating team for Milan Cortina is expected to include 16 skaters, plus alternates. The breakdown is as follows:
| Event | Skaters |
|---|---|
| Men's Singles | 3 |
| Women's Singles | 3 |
| Pairs | 4 (2 teams) |
| Ice Dance | 6 (3 teams) |
How is the USA Olympic figure skating team selected?
After the conclusion of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Saturday, the nine-person selection committee will meet to determine which skaters will head to Milan Cortina 2026.
While skaters' performance this week will be a major factor in those choices, the committee will also consider results from the past year, "which includes scores and placements in events, difficulty of the field, performance impact,
and head-to-head match ups, to determine the athletes/teams who will have the best chance to win the
maximum number of medals at the Games."
The last line is particularly important. The criteria for the selection committee makes clear consistency should be weighed more heavily than "a single great performance" in translating to a potential podium spot at the Olympics.
When do the 2026 Winter Olympics start?
The opening ceremony for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games is on Friday, Feb. 6 at the San Siro in Milan.
However, preliminary competition in some sports starts earlier. Curling gets underway on Wednesday, Feb. 4, with hockey and snowboarding kicking in the following day.
The figure skating competition begins Friday, Feb. 6, with the team events in short programs and rhythm dance.