The figure skating pairs competition of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Games is officially underway.
The short program kicked off this afternoon inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena. The first half of the competition lasted from 1:30 to 3 p.m. EST, and the second half — currently in progress — will commence at 5 p.m. EST.
This year’s showdown is set to be a mosaic of rivalries, comeback stories and plenty of Olympic debuts. Competitors include reigning world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan, and two U.S. pairs, Team gold medalists Danny O’Shea and Ellie Kam, as well as Spencer Howe and Emily Chan.
The category has a long history of keeping spectators on the edge of their seats. In both the 2020 and 2024 Olympic games, the pairs figure skating gold medal has been won by less than one point.
Follow here for live updates on the performances.
Where it all stands // 2:58 p.m. EST
Here is the current leaderboard following part one of the short pairs program:
- Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China: total score of 72.66
- Emily Chan and Spencer Howe of the United States: total score of 70.06
- Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin of Armenia: total score of 66.27
- Camille and Pavel Kovalev of France: total score of 64.65
- Daria Danilova and Michel Tsiba of the Netherlands: total score of 64.07
- Anastasiia Golubeva and Hector Giotopolous Moore of Australia: total score of 60.69
- Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi of Japan: total score of 59.62
Who are the favorites? // 3:01 p.m. ET
The heavy favorites — and two-time reigning world champions — are Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara. The two dominated the Grand Prix final this year and are hoping to lock down Japan’s first Olympic pairs medal.
Georgia, Italy and Germany join Japan as the teams with the season’s best scores. All are expected to have a good shot at the podium.
When it comes to pairs, the U.S. has not made the podium in the last nine Olympic games and has not medaled in any global competition since 1988.
However, things could be looking up. Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, who recently scored Olympic gold in the skating team event, are taking the ice later in an anticipated pairs performance.
The duo is currently positioned as the top U.S. team and are projected to rank within the top 10.
What is the short program? // 3:05 p.m. ET
The figure skating short program, the initial segment of the pairs competition, only lasts 2 minutes and 40 seconds. In that time, the skaters are required to squeeze in seven specific elements.
Those include:
- Twist lift
- Throw jump
- Side-by-side jump
- Hand-to-hand lift
- Death spiral
- Side-by-side spin
- Step sequence
The triple twist lift, side-by-side triple jump, throw triple jump, and complex death spiral are widely known as the most difficult and high-risk moves.
First pair of the second half takes the ice // 3:08 p.m. ET
And so it begins. Ioulia Chtchetinina and Michal Wozniak of Poland, who first teamed up in the summer of 2023, have taken the ice.
American fallen star watches from the sidelines // 3:13 p.m. ET
American skating star Ilia Malinin sits among spectators days after a devastating Olympic loss.
The 21-year-old world champion, nicknamed the “Quad God,” was favored by the masses to take Olympic gold in singles. His short program performance on Tuesday had shot him above the competition with a five-point lead.
On Friday, it all came crashing down. His two-year winning streak was struck down after Malinin bailed out of his first jump and fumbled his second in a shocking free skate performance.
“I honestly don’t know what actually happened in the moment for that to happen,” Malinin told reporters Friday. “I can’t go back and change it, even though I would love to.”
Malinin placed eighth overall. Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan topped the podium, while Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Shato took silver and bronze, respectively.
Poland slides in at 4th // 3:13 p.m. ET
On the rink, Poland’s Chtichetinina and Wozniak cheer as they take 4th place with a score of 65.23.
The top 16 of the 19 competing teams in the short program will advance to the second pairs round, the free skate. The event, which will determine the medalists, is scheduled to take place on Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. EST.
Canada’s first pair enters the rink // 3:14 p.m. ET
Canada’s Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud are up next.
They will be followed later on by the highly anticipated performance of the country’s second competing pair, Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps. The past weeks have not been smooth-sailing for the team.
U.S.-born Stellato-Dudek hit her head on ice during a practice session less than three weeks ago. While full details of the injury are yet to be disclosed, Stellato-Dudek told ESPN she has made a “remarkable recovery” and passed all required medical evaluations.
At 42, Stellato-Dudek will be the oldest woman in nearly a century to skate in the Olympics.
In 2001, following an accomplished career as a single skater, she retired. 16 years later, she burst back onto the skating scene with hopes of a comeback in the pairs event.
In the wake of huge national wins, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps are considered strong contenders for the podium with as they prepare to hit the ice.
Canada in the lead // 3:20 p.m. ET
With a score of 74.60, Canada’s Pereira and Michaud take first. The two shed tears as they celebrate.
The team is yet to podium on the global stage. They finished 11th in last year’s world championships. In 2023, they came in sixth.
Here are the current rankings:
- Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud of Canada: 74.60 total score
- Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China: 72.66 total score
- Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe of the United States: 71.06 total score
- Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin of Armenia: 66.27 total score
- Ioulia Chtchetinina and Michal Wozniak of Poland: 65.23 total score
- Camile and Pavel Kovalev of France: 64.65 total score
- Daria Danilova and Michel Tsiba of the Netherlands: 64.07 total score
- Anastasiia Gloubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos Moore of Australia: 60.69 total score
- Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi of Japan: 59.62 total score
Germany takes 4th, Great Britain takes the ice // 3:27 p.m. ET
With a score of 67.20, Germany’s Anikka Hocke and Robert Kunkel roll into 4th place.
Up next are Great Britain’s Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby. The five-time British national champions are both making their Olympic debut tonight. It’s been more than three decades since the British won an Olympic medal in the pairs event.
O’Shea and Kam feeling “calm and collected” // 3:31 p.m. ET
In an interview with NBC backstage, O’Shea and Kam seem ready to take the rink by storm.
“We’re feeling really good, we had a great practice this morning,” said Kam. “Feeling very calm and collected.”
“We’re gonna keep smiling,” added O’Shea.
When he turned 35 on Friday, O’Shea became the oldest pairs skater to compete in the Olympics since 1932. He also made headlines last year when he skated on a broken foot at the world championships.
“He’s tough, he’s ready, he’s a gentle giant,” said retired Olympic skating champion Scott Hamilton of O’Shea Sunday. “I’m expecting a great performance from those two.”
Britain in 6th // 3:33 p.m. ET
With a score of 66.07, Great Britain ranks 5th.
Here are the current standings:
- Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud of Canada: 74.60 total score
- Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China: 72.66 total score
- Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe of the United States: 71.06 total score
- Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin of Armenia: 66.27 total score
- Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby of Great Britain: 66.07 total score
- Ioulia Chtchetinina and Michal Wozniak of Poland: 65.23 total score
- Camile and Pavel Kovalev of France: 64.65 total score
- Daria Danilova and Michel Tsiba of the Netherlands: 64.07 total score
- Anastasiia Gloubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos Moore of Australia: 60.69 total score
- Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi of Japan: 59.62 total score
Here’s who’s left:
- Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko of Hungary
- Ellie Kam and Danney O’Shea of the United States
- Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada
- Anastasiia and Luka Berulava of Georgia
- Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii of Italy
- Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan
- Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany
Hungary begins routine // 3:55 p.m. ET
Hungary’s Maria Pavlova and Alexei Svaitchenko step onto the ice to Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song.”
In last year’s Grand Prix de France, the pair took third place despite an injury setback. They were beaten by champions Miura and Kihara of Japan, and runners-up Stellato-Dudek and Dechamps of Canada.
Hungary places second, stadium cheers as Italy steps up // 4:01 p.m. ET
Pavlova and Svaitchenko glide into second place with a score of 73.87.
Meanwhile, Italy’s Rebacca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini enter the rink as applause erupts through the stadium. The pair have now skated together for 10 seasons.
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