NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
U.S. Olympians have struggled to reach the podium in the first two days of the 2026 Winter Olympics, but ended Sunday with a gold medal.
American figure skating took home the gold medal in the figure skating team. Team USA had a total score of 69 points, edging out Japan for the top spot by just one point. Italy finished with the bronze medal with 60 points.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States compete during the figure skating team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
The Americans were slated to finish near the top in ice dancing, pairs skating, women’s singles skating and men’s singles skating. Madison Chock and Evan Bates crushed the ice dance discipline, scoring 133.23 and collecting the 10 points needed to start the day on top.
Danny O’Shea and Kam Ellie did enough to collect one more point than they received in qualifying. However, the pair fell behind Japan’s Ryuichi Kihara and Riku Miura, Georgia’s Luka Berulava and Anastasiia Metelkina and Italy’s Niccolo Macii and Sara Conti.
US OLYMPIAN TAKING POINTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT ‘HATE’ AFTER TRUMP CRITICISM
Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts to his scores after competing during the figure skating men’s team events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Amber Glenn picked up eight points in the final round of the women’s singles, but finished behind Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and Anastasiia Gubanova.
Ilia Malinin, nicknamed the “Quad God”, needed a near-perfect routine in the men’s singles and he delivered on the biggest stage of his career so far. He scored 200.03 and got the 10 points needed to jump the USA into first place. Japan’s Shun Sato pushed with his performance, but only scored 194.86.
It was the second gold medal for the United States on Sunday. Breezy Johnson took home the first earlier in the day in the alpine skiing women’s downhill.
Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the figure skating men’s team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
The Americans have just two total medals on Monday’s program.
