Mexican skater Donovan Carrillo debuted at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with a short program routine that qualified him for the men's individual figure skating final. He scored 75.56 points despite an error on a jump, placing among the top 24 out of 29 competitors. Carrillo dedicated his performance to Mexico, noting the crowd's strong support.
Donovan Carrillo, from Jalisco and Mexico's flag bearer at the opening, competed on Tuesday in the men's individual figure skating short program, starting at 11:30 a.m. Central Mexico time. He took the ice as the fifth skater in the first group, wearing a black suit designed by Brad Griffies, featuring crystals in purple, blue, and turquoise tones evoking an aurora borealis, with transparencies on the upper part.
His routine to 'Hip Hip Chin Chin' by Club des Belugas included a quad salchow + triple toe loop combination (12.51 points), a triple lutz (7.50 points), and a triple axel with incomplete rotation leading to a one-point deduction for a slip. Technical elements scored 39.71, while program components totaled 36.85, with 7.32 for composition, 7.61 for presentation, and 7.14 for skating skills. The 75.56 total placed him 23rd overall, qualifying for the free program on Friday, February 13, at 12:00 p.m. Central Mexico time.
The crowd chanted '¡México, México!' during his skate, and upon finishing, Carrillo said: 'This is for Mexico, dreams do come true!'. In an interview with Claro Sports, he added: 'It slipped a bit (the jump), but I'm optimistic, I've trained so hard and deserve to be in that final'. This marks his second consecutive Olympics after Beijing 2022, where he finished 22nd, Mexico's best historical result in the event. Carrillo, who started skating at age 8 on mall rinks due to limited infrastructure, contributed to the suit's design for comfort and personal expression.
Mexico fields five athletes in three winter disciplines, with no prior medals in 11 appearances. The final will feature a routine with Elvis Presley themes, led by 'My Way', which Carrillo called emotionally connected.
