Inside the secret text group of US figure skating Olympic gold medalists known as the OGM chain'

"The text had come out of nowhere, welcoming him to what is surely one of the most select groups of U.S. athletes. It is called simply the OGM chain, which stands for only gold medalists, and as the name implies, it includes only American figure skaters who have captured Olympic titles, from 90-year-old Tenley Albright all the way down to Chen, who was 22 at the time."

"It's really fun. You go into the chat and you're like, Wow,' said 1988 champion Brian Boitano, who provided the The Associated Press with a scroll through the text chain. You just think to yourself, I'm actually in this community.' Not only that you're in the Olympic community, Boitano clarified, but you're a gold medalist. Team USA celebrate winning the gold medal after the figure skating team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)"

A private text chain called the OGM chain connects American Olympic figure skating gold medalists across generations. Nathan Chen received an unexpected message welcoming him into the group after his 2022 Beijing Olympics free skate victory. Membership includes champions from Dick Button and Tenley Albright through Brian Boitano, Kristi Yamaguchi, Meryl Davis, Charlie White, and more recent winners. Members use the chat to celebrate achievements and acknowledge shared elite status. The U.S. has a long figure skating history, beginning with Theresa Weld's 1920 bronze and the country's first men's gold by Button in 1948. Button was the only deceased American gold medalist listed.

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