Olympics figure skating gala live updates, highlights from Ilia Malinin, Alysa Liu and more

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The competition is over, but the party is just beginning.

After a week of high-stakes jumps and heart-stopping scores, the world’s elite skaters are trading their technical nerves for pure artistry in the 2026 Milano Cortina Exhibition Gala.

All eyes are on American sensation Alysa Liu, who returns to the ice not just as a fan favorite, but as a newly crowned Olympic Gold Medalist — ending a 24-year drought for U.S. women. Joining her is the "Quad God" Ilia Malinin, who, despite a heartbreaking eighth-place finish in the individual event, received a rare special invitation to perform for the Milan crowd.

From legendary encore performances to the highly anticipated group number led by Italian icon Carolina Kostner, the Sporting News is tracking every backflip, costume change, and emotional highlight live from the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

MORE 2026 OLYMPICS: Live medal tracker | Viewer's guide | Day-by-day schedule

Olympics figure skating live updates, highlights from 2026 gala

This section will be updated closer to the figure skating gala.

How to watch 2026 Olympics figure skating gala

  • Date: Saturday, February 21
  • Time: 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT
  • TV Channel: NBC
  • Live Stream: Peacock

The Olympics figure skating gala will air nationally on NBC, with live coverage starting at 2:00 PM ET. The gala will also be streamed on Peacock, which provides access to all NBC networks and all Olympic coverage.

What time will Ilia Malinin skate in gala?

While the exact minute-by-minute skating order for the 24 performers is typically not released until shortly before the show starts, Ilia Malinin is part of the Men’s lineup alongside the newly crowned Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov.

Since Malinin is a high-profile guest and a major draw for the global audience, he is likely to perform in the second half of the show, which generally features the biggest stars and individual medalists. The gala concludes with a finale featuring the entire cast around 4:30 p.m. ET.

USA figure skating medal results 2026

Team USA’s figure skating performance in Milan-Cortina was defined by a mix of historic breakthroughs and shocking upsets. While the individual men's podium eluded them, the U.S. successfully defended their team title and secured their first women’s individual gold in over two decades.

EventMedalAthlete(s)
Women's SinglesGoldAlysa Liu
Team EventGoldTeam USA*
Ice DanceSilverMadison Chock & Evan Bates

In one of the most emotional storylines of the Games, Liu became the first American woman to win individual Olympic gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002. Coming out of a two-year retirement, Liu surged from third place after the short program to take the title with a near-flawless free skate to "MacArthur Park Suite."

The biggest surprise of the tournament was Malinin finishing 8th in the men's individual event. Despite entering as the heavy favorite, Malinin struggled with multiple falls in his free skate. However, he was the hero of the opening week, delivering a massive performance in the Team Event to clinch the gold for the United States.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates secured a silver medal in a razor-thin Ice Dance final. They were edged out by France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron by just 1.43 points, the second-smallest margin in Olympic history.

Full Olympics figure skating gala lineup

Women's Singles

AthleteCountryOlympic Result
Alysa LiuUnited StatesGold
Kaori SakamotoJapanSilver
Ami NakaiJapanBronze
Amber GlennUnited StatesTeam Gold
Adeliia PetrosianIndividual Neutral AthletesFinalist
Niina PetrokinaEstoniaFinalist
Haein LeeSouth KoreaFinalist

Men's Singles

AthleteCountryOlympic Result
Mikhail ShaidorovKazakhstanGold
Yuma KagiyamaJapanSilver
Shun SatoJapanBronze
Ilia MalininUnited StatesTeam Gold
Junhwan ChaSouth KoreaFinalist
Adam Siao Him FaFranceFinalist
Daniel GrasslItalyNo Medal

Pairs

AthletesCountryOlympic Result
Riku Miura / Ryuichi KiharaJapanGold
Anastasiia Metelkina / Luka BerulavaGeorgiaSilver
Minerva Fabienne Hase / Nikita VolodinGermanyBronze
Maria Pavlova / Alexei SviatchenkoHungaryFinalists
Sara Conti / Niccolò MaciiItalyNo Medal

Ice Dance

AthletesCountryOlympic Result
L. Fournier Beaudry / G. CizeronFranceGold
Madison Chock / Evan BatesUnited StatesSilver
Piper Gilles / Paul PoirierCanadaBronze
Charlène Guignard / Marco FabbriItalyNo Medal
Allison Reed / S. AmbrulevičiusLithuaniaNo Medal
Olivia Smart / Tim DieckSpainNo Medal
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