"On Sunday, U.S. Figure Skating announced its Olympic roster, which adhered, as is natural, to the top three performers at its national championships. The men's event saw the most upheaval from the anticipated roster, but not in a way that was particularly interesting for Olympic prospects: Ilia Malinin is still the prohibitive favorite to win everything, and no other American man is expected to contend seriously for a podium finish."
"(Whether being a prodigy is to anyone's benefit is highly debatable. Liu retired from figure skating after the 2022 Olympics, when she was only 16, though her story has had a happy continuation: She made a practically unheard of return to the highest level in 2024, and found out how to skate on her own terms. As Levito said of Liu in a press conference last week, "She keeps the hoes on their toes.")"
"In the recent post-quad era of women's figure skating-brought in by the banning of the Russian skating federation and a raise to the minimum age of participation at the senior level-the triple Axel is the massive technical differentiator. The Axel is one of the easiest jumps to recognize by a figure skating neophyte, as unlike all other jumps, the skater faces forward at take-off; this also makes it the toughest, as the Axel requires an extra half rotation."
U.S. Figure Skating selected its Olympic roster using the top three finishers at nationals. The men's lineup centers around Ilia Malinin, who remains the overwhelming favorite, while other American men are not expected to contend for a podium. The women's roster includes 18-year-old Isabeau Levito and two strong medal candidates: 20-year-old Alysa Liu and 26-year-old Amber Glenn. Liu was an early prodigy who retired after the 2022 Olympics at 16 and returned to elite competition in 2024. Glenn is notable for mastering the triple Axel. The triple Axel requires an extra half rotation and carries a base value of 8.00.
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