Skate to Milano

The Skate to Milano was a figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by the Chinese Figure Skating Association. It was held at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, from 18 to 21 September 2025. This was the final figure skating qualification competition for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Seventeen quota spots for the Olympics that had not been awarded at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston were assigned. Medals were also awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. Petr Gumennik and Adeliia Petrosian, both of Russia, won the men's and women's events, respectively. Zhang Jiaxuan and Huang Yihang of China won the pairs event, and Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevičius of Lithuania won the ice dance event.

The number of entries for the figure skating events at the Winter Olympics is determined by quotas set by the International Olympic Committee. A total of 142 quota spots were available to athletes to compete in the figure skating events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. There were 29 spots allotted each in men's and women's singles, 19 in pair skating, and 23 in ice dance.^[1] 83 spots had already been allocated based on the results of the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships: 24 entries each in men's and women's singles, 16 in pairs, and 19 in ice dance.^[2] The remainder of the spots – 5 in each singles events, 3 in pairs, and 4 in ice dance – were filled at the Skate to Milano.^[3] The competition was held at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, from 18 to 21 September 2025.^[4]

The Figure Skating Federation of Russia and the Skating Union of Belarus were each permitted to nominate one skater or team from each discipline to participate at this event as a means to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs). Each nominee was required to pass a special screening process to assess whether they had displayed any active support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine or any contractual links to the Russian or Belarusian military or other national security agencies.^[5][6] In May 2025, the International Skating Union (ISU) announced the Russian and Belarusian skaters who had been granted AIN status: Vladislav Dikidzhi and Petr Gumennik in men's singles, and Alina Gorbacheva and Adeliia Petrosian in women's singles from Russia; Vasil Barakhouski and Yauhenii Puzanau in men's singles, Viktoriia Safonova and Nastassia Sidarenka in women's singles, and Viktoriya Plaskonnaya and Uladzislau Sytsik in ice dance from Belarus.^[7]

The ISU published the initial list of entrants on 20 August 2025.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Men competing in single skating first performed their short program on Saturday, 20 September, while women performed their short program on Friday, 19 September.^[4] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,^[16] the short program had to include the following elements:

For men: one double or triple Axel; one triple or quadruple jump; one jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump, two triple jumps, or a quadruple jump and a double jump or triple jump; one flying spin; one camel spin or sit spin with a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and a step sequence using the full ice surface.^[17]

For women: one double or triple Axel; one triple jump; one jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump, or two triple jumps; one flying spin; one layback spin, sideways leaning spin, camel spin, or sit spin without a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and one step sequence using the full ice surface.^[17]

Women performed their free skates on Saturday, 20 September, while men performed theirs on Sunday, 21 September.^[4] The free skate for both men and women could last no more than 4 minutes,^[16] and had to include the following: seven jump elements, of which one had to be an Axel-type jump; three spins, of which one had to be a spin combination, one a flying spin, and one a spin with only one position; a step sequence; and a choreographic sequence.^[18]

Couples competing in pair skating first performed their short program on Friday, 19 September.^[4] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,^[16] the short program had to include the following elements: one pair lift, one double or triple twist lift, one double or triple throw jump, one double or triple solo jump, one solo spin combination with a change of foot, one death spiral, and a step sequence using the full ice surface.^[19]

Couples performed their free skates on Saturday, 20 September.^[4] The free skate could last no more than 4 minutes,^[16] and had to include the following: three pair lifts, of which one has to be a twist lift; two different throw jumps; one solo jump; one jump combination or sequence; one pair spin combination; one death spiral; and a choreographic sequence.^[20]

Couples competing in ice dance performed their rhythm dances on Friday, 19 September.^[4] The ISU chose as the theme of the rhythm dance this season "music, dance styles, and feeling of the 1990s".^[21] Examples of applicable dance styles and music included, but were not limited to: pop, Latin, house, techno, hip-hop, and grunge.^[21] The rhythm dance could last no longer than 2 minutes 50 seconds,^[16] and had to include the following elements: one pattern dance step sequence, one choreographic rhythm sequence, one dance lift, one set of sequential twizzles, and one step sequence.^[21]

Couples then performed their free dances on Sunday, 21 September.^[4] The free dance could last no longer than 4 minutes,^[16] and had to include the following: three dance lifts, one dance spin, one set of synchronized twizzles, one step sequence in hold, one step sequence while on one skate and not touching, and three choreographic elements.^[21]

All of the technical elements in any figure skating performance – such as jumps and spins – were assigned a predetermined base value and then scored by a panel of nine judges on a scale from –5 to 5 based on their quality of execution.^[22] Every Grade of Execution (GOE) from –5 to 5 was assigned a value (a percentage of the element's base value) as shown on the Scale of Values (SOV).^[23] For example, a triple Axel was worth a base value of 8.00 points, and a GOE of 3 was worth 2.40 points, so a triple Axel with a GOE of 3 earned 10.40 points.^[24] The judging panel's GOE for each element was determined by calculating the trimmed mean (the average after discarding the highest and lowest scores). The panel's scores for all elements were added together to generate a total elements score.^[23] At the same time, the judges evaluated each performance based on three program components – skating skills, presentation, and composition – and assigned a score from 0.25 to 10 in 0.25-point increments.^[25] The judging panel's final score for each program component was also determined by calculating the trimmed mean. Those scores were then multiplied by the factor shown on the following chart; the results were added together to generate a total program component score.^[26]

Deductions were applied for certain violations like time infractions, stops and restarts, or falls.^[28] The total elements score and total program component score were added together, minus any deductions, to generate a final performance score for each skater.^[29]

Petr Gumennik of Russia earned a spot at the 2026 Winter Olympics as an Individual Neutral Athlete. Gumennik led after the short program, and despite some errors on his quadruple Lutz and quadruple loop, he finished first in the free skate and won the competition. The other four quota spots in men's singles were awarded to South Korea, Mexico, Ukraine, and Chinese Taipei. As Mexico's highest-ranked men's skater, Donovan Carrillo would undoubtedly be chosen to compete at the Olympics.^[31] "It's what I was dreaming, what I've been working for, and I'm just so happy that it's now a reality and also excited for the next chapter," Carrillo stated after learning that he had qualified for the Olympics.^[31] Li Yu-Hsiang of Taiwan finished in fifth place, earning Chinese Taipei its first Olympic berth since David Liu competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics.^[31]

Adeliia Petrosian of Russia and Viktoriia Safonova of Belarus each earned a spot at the 2026 Winter Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes. The other three quota spots in women's singles were awarded to Georgia, Belgium, and China. Petrosian had led after the short program, and maintained her lead with a "passionate tango program" that featured seven clean triple jumps.^[33] Safonova had been in seventh place after the short program, but rallied back in the free skate to finish in fourth place. Anastasiia Gubanova had had a very disappointing performance at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships, which left Georgia without a berth for the Olympics, but she redeemed herself with a silver medal finish and a quota spot for Georgia. Likewise, Loena Hendrickx, who had missed almost the entire 2024–25 season due to injury, was able to secure a second quota spot for Belgium with her "sophisticated flamenco program" that featured five triple jumps and precise spins.^[33] "For me, this competition was very important after coming back from my injury; I am proud to stand here again. I know I can do better, but I am satisfied and happy how this competition went," Hendrickx stated afterward.^[33]

The three quota spots in pair skating were awarded to China, Armenia, and Japan. Zhang Jiaxuan and Huang Yihang, who had won the 2025 Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, finished first in both the short program and the free skate, securing another berth for China at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Although Zhang and Huang won this competition, they are still not guaranteed a spot at the Olympics as China has several dominant pairs teams.^[33] "At this competition, we showed our level from what we can do in practice," Huang stated afterward.^[33] Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin finished in second place, earning Armenia its first Olympic berth in pair skating since Maria Krasiltseva and Artem Znachkov competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi of Japan had finished in fourth place after the short program, but rallied back in the free skate to finish third overall and earn Japan another Olympic berth.^[33]

The four quota spots in ice dance were awarded to Lithuania, Australia, Spain, and China. Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevičius won the ice dance event by a significant margin. They had narrowly missed out on earning Lithuania a quota spot to the 2026 Winter Olympics when they finished in twenty-first place at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships.^[36] Their bid to compete at the 2022 Winter Olympics had also been thwarted when Reed's application for Lithuanian citizenship was denied.^[37] "We're there to perform, we're there to place, and our goals are way, way higher and, just really, really looking forward to representing Lithuania," Reed stated.^[36] Holly Harris and Jason Chan had also narrowly missed out on competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics, and also narrowly missed out on earning Australia an Olympic berth at the 2025 World Championships. They finished in second place in both the rhythm dance and free dance. Sofía Val and Asaf Kazimov of Spain had been in fifth place after the rhythm dance, but lucked out when Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morita of Japan, who had been in fourth place after the rhythm dance, scored lower enough in the free dance to allow Val and Kazimov to earn Spain a second quota spot in ice dance.^[36]

At Skate to Milano, a total of five quota spots were granted in each singles events, three in the pairs event, and four in the ice dance event.^[3]

• "Special Regulations & Technical Rules – Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance 2024" (PDF). International Skating Union. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 June 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.