Every two years, my patriotism rises to match my enthusiasm as I cheer for Team U.S.A. in both the Summer and Winter Olympics. I also, of course, have my favorite sports that I love to watch. Gymnastics is always a highlight, along with synchronized diving, snowboarding, and some of the skiing events. But, I cannot and will not lie, figure skating always tops the list for me. It is absolutely the best event. I’m not talking about just the women’s short program, or only the pair ice dance – I mean all of it.
No sport can compete with the drama of figure skating. There are upsets, controversies, scandals, and stories. For instance, at Beijing in 2022, Russian skater Kamila Valieva was banned for four years after testing positive for an illegal substance. Even this year, there were plenty of controversies to be shared. After American ice-dance pair, Chock and Bates, fell short of gold, there were many accusations across social media that they were deliberately scored low by the French judge. This grew increasingly more relevant after the French ice-dancing pair won gold. American ice skater Ilia Malinin, had not lost an international competition since 2023. Still, the world looked on in shock as the self-proclaimed “Quad God” could not land a quad to save his life (or his chance at gold) in his free skate.
Besides the controversies, the stories of the Olympians are something to behold as well. Alysa Liu, an American figure skater, retired at 16 following the Beijing Olympics. She then made a legendary comeback at 18, one that brought her to a gold medal at the World Championships in 2025, and eventually, the elusive Olympic gold. Figure skating is a pure spectacle that I am thrilled to see land on my TV screen every four years.
Figure skating is also unequivocally beautiful. Watching as the skaters twirl and jump across the ice, my mind is split between saying, “How is that even possible?” and, “Wow, that is gorgeous.” I think of Alysa Liu, and the way in which her final minute of the free skate – which had no jumps – was one of the best pieces of artistry I’d ever seen. Or Kaori Sakamoto, the Japanese figure skater who won silver, who glided across the rink while performing challenging jumps. In ice dancing, meanwhile, a key aspect of the grading is based on synchronicity and gracefulness. Figure skating is essentially a crazy challenge of how the skaters can do the most difficult jumps, lifts, and spins while still looking effortless on the ice.
The Olympics, some say, are a time of unity. No other sport inspires such loyalty for me; figure skating is the only event where I stand up, screaming, after the winner is decided. Once every four years, I become the harshest judge that has only skated twice. Once every four years, I will be able to watch a skater’s program and point out whether or not they under-rotated their landing or if they finished perfectly. Once every four years, I can explain to friends and family in excruciating detail about how popping out of a jump is worse than falling during the short program. Once every four years, I am no longer a mere observer; I am an expert, just like the rest of those who watch. That is what makes figure skating special: the spectacle and the stories connect us to the skaters, and to each other.
