A gold rush is set for the US Olympic Team at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games. The Winter Olympics begin with the opening ceremony on Feb. 6, and the figure skating competition begins on that day with the women’s short program in the team competition.
The quest for gold for the U.S. Olympic figure skating team starts with Ilia Malinin, the favorite in the men’s event. He is not alone. Amber Glenn, and ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates are also gold medal favorites.
Gold Medal Competition For the United States
The Olympics are a global competition, and although the United States is favored in three of the four events, and four of five if one counts the team competition, American skaters will face competition in their quest for gold.
Mens Competition
In the men’s competition, the “Quad God,” Malinin, is the runaway gold medal favorite. He has done a record seven quadruple jumps in a competition. He will face a challenge from Shoma Uno from Japan and Adam Siao Him Fa from France. It should be pointed out that Malinin is the runaway favorite.
Womens Competition
Glenn is the five-time American champion; however, her main gold medal competition may come from her own team. Sentimental favorite Alysa Liu retired from the sport only to come back and finish second to Glenn at the United States Championships.
Other favorites include Kaori Sakamoto from Japan, along with rising stars from Japan’s deep talent pool. Isabeau Levito, also on Team USA. Cha Jun-hwan and Lee Hae-in from Korea are also medal threats.
Pairs Competition
In the pairs competition, China’s dominance continues. The Americans Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, and Italy’s home team Sara Conti & Niccolo Macii will battle for medals.
Ice Dancing Competition
The Ice Dance competition usually rewards experience, and this is the fourth Olympics for Chock & Bates from the United States. Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson from the United Kingdom, and Italy’s Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri are competing on home ice. They may get a bit of a bounce.
Team Competition
Because the United States is a gold medal favorite in three of the four individual and pairs competitions, they are also the favorites in the team competition. Expect China to do well in this competition, and South Korea and Japan will be strong. The Italians may benefit from some home cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
The figure skating competition at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games will begin with the team competition on the first day. That will be followed by men’s singles, then women’s singles, then pairs, and then ice dance. There will be an exhibition gala last.
Malinin, from the Washington DC Area, might be the biggest gold medal favorite of these games. In recent world competitions, he has destroyed all comers by a wide margin.
Keep an eye on Maxim Naumov, who will represent the United States and will be guided by his late parents, who died a year ago in a plane crash that rocked the figure skating world. They died when an American Airlines plane collided with a Black Hawk helicopter on Jan. 29 last year.
Parting Shots
As with every Olympics, the figure skating competition is certain to be an emotional roller coaster as the skaters vie for gold. That is why there are tissues present where the skaters receive their scores. The United States skaters are gold medal favorites in most of the competitive events, but anything can happen in this drama-filled exhibition.
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