Japan fell just short in its comeback bid for gold in the figure skating team event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, settling for silver behind the United States. Ilia Malinin's performance in the men's free skate secured the win for the U.S., with Italy taking bronze. Japanese skaters delivered standout efforts throughout the competition.
In the figure skating team event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Japan secured silver with 68 points on February 9, just one point behind the United States' 69 points for back-to-back gold. Italy earned bronze with 60 points.
Japan staged a strong comeback on the final day, tying the U.S. after impressive pairs and women's free skate performances. World champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara opened with a triple twist lift and closed with a dramatic lift, earning a season-best 155.55 points. A teary-eyed Miura told reporters, “We were aiming for about 145 or a little higher, and seeing 155 brought so much joy… we were overwhelmed with emotions.”
Kaori Sakamoto topped the women's free skate with 148.62 points. American Amber Glenn placed third behind Sakamoto and Georgia's Anastasiia Gubanova after two botched landings, erasing the U.S. lead. Glenn said, “I just physically didn’t feel great. My legs were heavy, I was tired. I just didn’t feel my best.”
The men's free skate decided the outcome, with 21-year-old U.S. skater Ilia Malinin scoring 200.03 points to edge out Japan's Shun Sato. Malinin attempted only five quads instead of seven, stumbling on a quad Lutz and downgrading others to triples, but recovered with a quad toe loop and Salchow in combinations—nearly 40 points below his season best but enough to win. Japan had trailed by five points entering the day but couldn't overcome the final hurdle for gold.
