Milan (Italy) (AFP) – The American Ilia Malinin, sensation and great dominator of figure skating in the last two seasons, is preparing for a triumphant walk towards gold in figure skating at the Milan Cortina Olympic Games, which open on Friday.

First modification: 02/05/2026 - 17:15

. Men: an untouchable favorite

In the men's category, the top step of the podium seems destined for Ilia Malinin, who dominates her sport overwhelmingly at the age of 21.

In these last two seasons, the skater from Virginia has become accustomed to winning with a margin of 10, 20 or even 30 points over his main pursuers.

He is the only skater to master all the variants of quadruple jumps, including the complicated quadruple Axel, and he also demonstrates nerves of steel, as in the World Cup in Boston last year, where he arrived with all the pressure and all the hopes of the local public placed on him.

"There is a lot to manage because of the pressure, because of all this attention. All the focus is on me to be an Olympic champion," he says.

Behind, the fight for silver and bronze is, however, completely open between the Japanese Yuma Kagiyama (current Olympic runner-up), his compatriot Shun Sato, the Kazakh Mijail Shaidorov, the Georgian Nika Egadze or even the French Adam Siao Him Fa and Kévin Aymoz.

. Women: USA-Japan pulse

Since the last Games, the women's category was dominated by the Japanese Kaori Sakamoto, who won three world crowns in the absence of the Russian skaters (2022, 2023 and 2024), outside of the major competitions due to the invasion of Ukraine.

Sakamoto (25 years old), who is retiring at the end of these Games, was however dethroned by surprise last year at the World Cup by the American Alysa Liu.

The gold could therefore be decided between the last two world champions, but their two countries have other assets to get on the podium.

Japan's Mone Chiba and Ami Nakai have impressed this season, as have Americans Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito.

"The level is so balanced that everything is going to be decided by very little," predicts Amodio, who also cites the Belgian Loena Hendrickx or the Estonian Niina Petrokina as candidates, without forgetting the ambitious Adeliia Petrosian, the only Russian skater who has been authorized to compete in these Games.

. Dance on ice: Cizeron, with a new partner

Frenchmen Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry are aiming for Olympic gold in ice dancing, despite having only been competing as a team for a year.

After ending his collaboration with Gabriella Papadakis, with whom he was Olympic champion in 2022 and five-time world gold, Guillaume Cizeron gave the surprise by announcing in early 2025 his return to competition with a new partner, the French-nationalized Canadian Laurence Fournier Beaudry.

"We are aiming for Olympic gold, that is our goal. We are going to do everything possible to achieve it," said Cizeron when the identity of his new partner was announced.

Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry were filled with confidence with a masterful performance at the European Championships in Sheffield (Great Britain) three weeks ago, despite the fact that the event coincided with the publication of a book by Papadakis in which he reproached his former dance partner.

The other great candidates for the title are the Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who after finishing fourth in Beijing 2022 have won three world titles.

. Couples: Miura-Kihara in top form

Double world champions (2023 and 2025), the Japanese Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara are presented as favorites in the pairs event, supported by their victory in December in the Grand Prix final.

Only Miura's shoulder injury in December, which caused them to withdraw from the Japanese championship, casts a shadow of doubt.

Also with options are the Italians Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii, as well as the young Germans Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin.

© 2026 AFP

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