The 2026 Olympic figure skating events came to an end on Feb. 19 in Italy. The competition lasted 13 days. In this time, the US walked away with two gold medals, one for team figure skating and one for women’s singles. To some, it ends there, with medals won and history made.
Alysa Liu took home gold in women’s singles. Raised in California, she was introduced to skating by her father at five years old. Her father, an immigrant from China, recognized her natural talent and went all in, pouring thousands of dollars and hours into it.
However, while the ice rinks were shut down from Covid, Liu realized she did not enjoy skating. Her whole life had been centered around one thing, giving her no chance to enjoy hanging out with friends or other experiences. In 2022 at 16 years old, she announced her retirement.
Two years later, and she has now returned to the sport with rules, such as no further involvement from her father and a say in choices of routines. After winning gold, she talked about her troubles and mental health. Put under so much pressure from her father, the sport became a burden. By taking a break, she was able to discover her passion for skating without the strain.
What often goes unspoken is the overwhelming pressure put on these athletes to perform. According to a 2020 study by Charlie Health more than 50% of elite athletes struggle with mental health. In a sport like figure skating, with perfection expected, the pressure is massive. Recently, many American figure skaters are speaking out about it.
Another American skater gaining recent attention is Ilia Malinin, known as the “Quad God” for his mastery of quadruple jumps. Malinin was influenced by his parents, two Russian skaters, and has built a reputation for pushing boundaries.
Beyond what he accomplishes on the ice, Malinin has recently spoken about the importance of mental health on athletes, due to several faults on the ice taking him down to eight place. As every mistake is watched, analyzed, and debated, athletes can feel like one performance defines what they can achieve.
This was shown on another skater, Amber Glenn. After a bad skate, photos were immediately posted of her breaking down and stories written about her program. People forget the athletes are not just entertainment. With hundreds of thousands forming opinions, it takes a toll.
Figure skating continues to evolve and change with each new generation of athletes. Skaters push the limits of what we know to be possible but that comes with demands. The stories of Liu and Malinin show that figure skating is not only about the outcome, but the journey of growth and the path taken to get there.
