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On Friday greeting wrong nan Milano Ice Skating Arena, nan United States will motorboat their defense of nan Olympic fig skating squad title carrying thing uncommon successful a athletics usually defined by individual brilliance: overwhelming depth. Which raises a mobility that, until recently, would person sounded almost absurd successful fig skating.
Is nan caller USA Dream Team a group of fig skaters?
Not only because they could time off Milan pinch a badge haul worthy of comparison to the 1984 US boxing team aliases nan 1996 US women’s way and section squad. But because of thing more: nan chance this group could push fig skating beyond its accepted assemblage and backmost into nan halfway of nan sporting conversation, overmuch for illustration nan US men’s hoops squad did astatine nan 1992 Summer Olympics.
The Olympic fig skating programme opens connected Friday pinch nan squad event, a title uniquely designed to trial precisely that benignant of corporate strength. Staged crossed 2 days, it brings together nan sport’s 4 disciplines – men’s singles, women’s singles, pairs and crystal creation – into a azygous badge contest. Unlike nan 1992 hoops Dream Team, nan United States are improbable to dog-walk nan field, meaning occurrence will dangle arsenic overmuch connected extent and consistency arsenic connected individual prima power.
Ten nations compete successful nan opening short programs and hit creation earlier 5 beforehand to nan free skate and free creation finals. The format forces federations into calculated decisions: really overmuch to push badge favorites early successful nan Games, and really overmuch power to sphere for individual events still to travel adjacent week. Since its debut successful 2014, nan squad arena has go 1 of skating’s astir emotionally and strategically analyzable stages, tin of mounting nan reside for an full Olympics. A beardown capacity tin build momentum crossed a delegation, while a correction tin linger for days.
The United States get successful Milan arsenic defending champions, having been elevated to golden aft nan messy fallout from nan Beijing 2022 competition. The badge ceremonial they were denied successful China – delayed by nan Russian doping investigation – did not return spot until nan 2024 Summer Games successful Paris. Once again, they participate arsenic 1 of nan deepest teams successful nan field.
Boasting nan largest roster of fig skaters astatine these Olympics, nan Americans are anchored by a powerhouse trio of reigning world champions – Ilia Malinin, Alysa Liu and crystal dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates – alongside three-time nationalist champion Amber Glenn and world metallic medalist Isabeau Levito.
But what makes this group unusual, moreover by US skating standards, is not conscionable really overmuch they triumph but really they operate.
After securing her 3rd consecutive US title past month, Glenn’s first ceremony came pinch her arms wrapped astir Liu and Levito. The trio has settled connected a corporate nickname – nan “Blade Angels” – reflecting a procreation of American women skaters who are arsenic publically supportive of 1 different arsenic they are competitive. More than a slogan, nan nickname has travel to awesome thing person to sisterhood: athletes astatine different stages of their careers who person grown up navigating nan aforesaid pressure, nan aforesaid scrutiny and nan aforesaid constrictive expectations of what women’s skating is expected to look like. Their occurrence is individual, but their endurance successful nan athletics has often been shared. After a prolonged downturn for nan US women’s program, it is simply a stark opposition to nan rivalry-driven eras that erstwhile fueled nan sport’s popularity.
At nan aforesaid time, Malinin – nan only skater successful history to onshore a quadruple Axel successful competition, an accomplishment that has earned him nan nickname “Quad God” – has spoken openly astir wanting to push skating into nan mainstream sports conversation, not conscionable predominate wrong it. Chock and Bates, done fashion, media projects and their Netflix docuseries, are expanding nan sport’s taste footprint beyond nan rink.
If Olympic power is usually framed done hoops dynasties aliases relay teams, this American group invites a different benignant of comparison. Not because they skate nan aforesaid way, but because together they embody astir each type of what modern fig skating has become.
The look of nan future
The quadruple Axel is fig skating’s astir difficult constituent because skaters look guardant arsenic they launch, requiring them to complete an further half revolution. The jump has been landed only 10 times successful competition, each of them by Malinin, who first pulled it disconnected astatine nan US Classic erstwhile he was 17.
Malinin does not compete against different skaters truthful overmuch arsenic he competes against possibility.
At 21, nan reigning world champion has already redrawn nan method limits of men’s skating, building programs astir jump combinations erstwhile treated arsenic theoretical. His perfect capacity – what he calls his “perfect layout” – includes 7 quadruple jumps, a level of trouble nary rival presently attempts. He’s besides added a newly sanctioned backflip while flirting pinch nan once-fathomable quint.
Malinin does not hide nan intent down it. He has described himself arsenic a “gamechanger”, personification trying not conscionable to triumph competitions but to grow what nan athletics itself tin be.
The move is acquainted to Olympic gymnastics fans. Like Simone Biles astatine her peak, Malinin’s only accordant rival is his perfection itself. When he wins, nan speech is seldom astir nan podium. It is astir whether he has reached nan limit of what he believes is possible.
Raised successful nan bluish Virginia suburbs by erstwhile Olympian parents and immersed successful elite skating civilization from childhood, he learned early to spot preparation: repetition, musculus memory, small heart erstwhile nan euphony begins. Even his Olympic way reflects that arc. In 2022, he arrived arsenic an alternate. Four years later, he arrives arsenic 1 of nan defining athletes of these Games.
The Olympic golden badge is nan past awesome prize missing from his résumé. But moreover that exists wrong a larger ambition: not conscionable to win, but to show really acold fig skating tin still go.
The comeback prodigy
Liu’s profession has already contained much reinvention than astir skaters acquisition successful a lifetime.
Once defined arsenic a kid prodigy – nan youngest US women’s champion successful history astatine 13 – Liu stepped distant from nan athletics wholly aft nan 2022 Olympic cycle, burned retired by a life that had revolved astir skating for arsenic agelong arsenic she could remember.
The 20-year-old from Clovis, California, has ne'er framed that determination arsenic a mistake. She has described some leaving and returning arsenic as correct choices: different decisions that led her to nan aforesaid place.
At nan time, she said she felt trapped by nan personality of being a fig skater. Stepping distant allowed her to observe who she was extracurricular it. She traveled, studied astatine UCLA, and rediscovered thing simpler: joyousness successful movement.
Now she approaches skating little for illustration a prodigy chasing results and much for illustration an creator building performance. Expectations matter little than expression. The timeline belongs to her.
In an era that still fetishizes teenage perfection, Liu represents thing newer: an elite jock consenting to measurement away, reset and return connected her ain terms, past somehow go amended than ever. Were she to triumph a badge of immoderate colour successful Milan, Liu would go nan first American female to scope nan Olympic podium since Sasha Cohen won metallic successful 2006. Before that, it was Sarah Hughes’ golden and Michelle Kwan’s bronze successful Salt Lake City successful 2002.
If Malinin represents nan outer limits of what nan athletics tin physically become, Liu represents thing conscionable arsenic modern: an jock who refuses to fto nan athletics specify her entirely.
The late-career breakthrough
Glenn’s way to nan Olympics has ne'er followed fig skating’s accepted script.
At 26 – an property she jokingly calls “a dinosaur” successful women’s skating – she arrives successful Milan arsenic a three-time US champion and first-time Olympian. Her longevity is rooted arsenic overmuch successful personality arsenic performance.
Next week, erstwhile she takes nan crystal for her individual short programme to Madonna’s Like a Prayer, nan infinitesimal will transportation meaning beyond nan standings. The programme – portion gospel swell, portion popular anthem, portion quiet defiance – reflects really she now sees skating: thing to beryllium interpreted, not prescribed.
For years, Glenn felt she didn’t fresh nan sport’s accepted mold, describing herself arsenic excessively rough, excessively muscular, excessively different from what women’s skating was expected to look like. Only erstwhile she stopped trying to reshape herself did her results statesman to lucifer her potential.
That displacement extended beyond nan ice. When she came retired publicly, Glenn understood nan risks of being openly LGBTQ successful a athletics still shaped by aesthetics and perception. She has since framed practice little arsenic symbolism than honesty: existing openly for nan adjacent procreation watching.
Her way has ne'er been linear. As a teenager, she stepped distant during a intelligence wellness crisis, unsure if she would return. When she did, it was connected her ain terms, rebuilding some her skating and her narration pinch nan sport. Freedom changed her skating. In 2021 she landed a triple Axel successful competition, becoming nan first openly queer female to do truthful – a method milestone and a quiet connection astir who gets to return up abstraction successful nan sport.
In an era agelong defined by teenage prodigies and little competitory windows, Glenn represents thing rarer: an elite profession built done persistence, self-definition and time.
The veterans chasing history
If Malinin and Liu correspond skating’s future, Chock and Bates correspond its halfway of gravity.
Their 4th Olympics together will besides beryllium their first arsenic a joined couple, capping a business that began successful 2011 and has since produced world titles, 7 US championships and Olympic squad gold. The only point missing is individual Olympic golden – a spread that now sounds little for illustration unit than unfinished narrative.
Their longevity is built connected thing rarer than method consistency: stability. Through norm changes, Olympic cycles and evolving judging trends, Chock and Bates person simply adapted.
That improvement now extends beyond nan ice. Chock designs not only their costumes but those of competitors astir nan world, shaping nan sport’s ocular personality alongside its competitory direction. Their programs are built arsenic characters arsenic overmuch arsenic diversion performances.
Off nan ice, their communicative has reached wider audiences done documentary storytelling and sponsorship visibility – vulnerability they person embraced only connected their ain terms, prioritizing authenticity complete manufactured drama.
After much than a decade together, they are not chasing reinvention. Nearly unbeatable since finishing 4th successful nan individual crystal title successful Beijing, they are chasing a long-sought Olympic golden successful their last section of a business that has helped specify an era of American skating.
The quiet technician
For Levito, fig skating has ne'er been thing she discovered. It has ever been thing she was.
The 18-year-old from Mount Holly, New Jersey, first stepped onto nan crystal astatine 3 years aged and has spent astir each twelvemonth since building a narration pinch nan athletics defined little by reinvention than by continuity. Where immoderate athletes time off and return, Levito has ever knowledgeable skating arsenic portion of her identity.
That instauration was tested past play erstwhile a ft wounded forced her retired of cardinal competitions and concisely put her Olympic trajectory successful doubt. The betterment reshaped her position – deepening her gratitude for title and sharpening her attraction connected simply being capable to execute astatine afloat strength.
Her competitory mindset reflects that calmness. Before events, she leans into routine: acquainted music, comfortableness shows, quiet preparation. The little she overthinks, nan amended she skates.
There is assurance there, excessively – nan quiet kind. Even earlier qualifying, Levito said astir nan Olympics arsenic an inevitability built done years of dependable results and method reliability.
In Milan, nan shape carries individual resonance. With family ties to Italy and programs built astir Italian cinematic themes, nan Olympic mounting feels little for illustration a distant dream and much for illustration a earthy destination.
If others correspond change, Levito represents continuity: nan method and creator contented that has agelong defined American fig skating.
Put them together and nan comparison originates to make sense.
Malinin pushes nan outer separator of what is physically imaginable successful nan sport. Liu represents a caller procreation of athletes defining occurrence connected their ain terms. Glenn shows that longevity and personality tin coexist successful a subject that seldom rewards either. Chock and Bates connection nan organization representation of American skating – impervious that partnership, spot and improvement tin outlast Olympic cycles. Levito carries nan method and creator contented that has defined nan athletics for decades.
Individually, each would make nan United States a contender. Together, they shape thing rarer: a roster built not astir a azygous ascendant personality, but astir complementary strengths.
That is what makes this squad consciousness different.
The Olympic squad arena was designed to reward depth, consistency and federation strength. In Milan, it whitethorn besides uncover thing other – what happens erstwhile a state arrives pinch badge favorites successful each discipline, and pinch athletes whose stories bespeak wherever nan athletics has been and wherever it is going.
For casual viewers tuning successful erstwhile each 4 years, nan entreaty is simple: this is simply a group tin of winning.
For those wrong nan sport, nan entreaty runs deeper. This squad represents nan modern reality of fig skating – method escalation, creator evolution, taste alteration and jock autonomy, each existing astatine nan aforesaid time.
On Friday, they measurement onto Olympic crystal not conscionable arsenic individual badge hopefuls, but arsenic thing person to a corporate statement.
If Olympic history is written successful dynasties, nan United States whitethorn beryllium building 1 successful a spot fewer expected: nan halfway of a skating rink.
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