• Singles (men’s and women’s) feature individual skaters performing jumps, spins, step sequences and choreographed routines. They follow prescribed element structures in a short program and a free skate.
• Pairs involve a man and a woman performing elements such as lifts, twist lifts, throw jumps, death spirals, spin combinations, step sequences and choreographic sequences with unison and harmony.
• Ice dance places the emphasis on rhythm, musical interpretation, footwork and dance holds. It includes a rhythm dance and a free dance, with no overhead lifts or throw jumps, focusing on precision and musical connection.

The team event brings together the five disciplines from up to 10 individual nations. Each nation fields one entry in each of the eight segments total (short program/rhythm dance, free skate/free dance). The short programs and rhythm dance performances (men's short program, women's short program, pairs short program and rhythm dance), determine which top-five countries advance — those five then skate in all four free skate and free dance performances (men’s free skate, women’s free skate, pairs free skate, free dance). Team scores are aggregated to determine overall team standings and medal winners.

Olympic figure skating uses the ISU International Judging System (IJS), sometimes called the Code of Points. Each element (jump, spin, lift, step sequence) has a base value. Judges then award a Grade of Execution (GOE) from −5 to +5, adjusted in final scoring.

• Technical Element Score (TES): Sum of base values plus or minus GOE adjustments.
• Program Component Score (PCS): Marks for presentation quality and artistry. Under the latest ISU rules, judges score five components — Skating Skills, transitions, performance, composition and interpretation of the music — typically on a 0.25–10 scale in 0.25 increments; marks are averaged after dropping extremes.

The TES and PCS are added together to produce the total segment score; final placement is the sum of short and free program scores.

All figure skating events, including the five medal disciplines and all eight team‑event segments, will take place at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan. This multipurpose arena has hosted major international figure skating competitions and will seat approximately 9,800 spectators during the Games. The arena also will host all short track events.

The Milano Ice Skating Arena, located at Via Giuseppe di Vittorio, 6, Assago MI, is reachable by public transit, and is approximately 30 minutes from the center of Milan.

Figure skating at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics will take place from Friday, Feb. 6 to Thursday, Feb. 19, ending with the women's free skate. Stay tuned on the NBC Olympics schedule page for updates.