The U.S. Olympic figure skating team officially has been announced.

Following the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, the Olympic selection committee announced the 16 athletes that have been named to Team USA. With some breakthrough surprises and some considered to be a shoo-in, the U.S. Olympic team performed in a gala performance for a packed St. Louis crowd.

Amber Glenn drew enormous cheers from the St. Louis crowd as she officially was named to her first Olympic team. The three-time and reigning U.S. champion has been open about pushing through mental-health struggles while building one of the sport’s most devoted fan bases. One of the few women consistently landing the triple Axel, Glenn has become synonymous with risk-taking and technical ambition — and her Olympic berth has felt long overdue.

“It doesn’t feel real. I’ve been working toward this for so, so long,” Glenn said, breaking down in tears.

After stepping away from the sport at age 16 following a sixth-place finish at the Beijing Olympics, Alysa Liu’s return has been one of the most unexpected comeback stories in recent skating history. Now 20, Liu stunned the field by winning the 2025 world title, then backed it up with gold and silver medals on the Grand Prix circuit and a victory at the Grand Prix Final.

“Sixteen-year-old me would’ve been so mad to see me up there,” Liu joked, pointing toward the jumbotron. “But me now? I’m so happy.”

At age 18, Isabeau Levito will be the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic team, narrowly meeting the age requirement for Milan Cortina. The 2023 U.S. champion and 2024 world silver medalist consistently has proven she can contend with the world’s best, adding a 2026 U.S. bronze medal this season to reinforce her staying power on the international stage.

It came as little surprise that Ilia Malinin will headline the U.S. men’s team. Widely regarded as one of the most transformative skaters in the sport’s history, Malinin has been undefeated since late 2023. He remains the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition and the first man to complete seven different quadruple jumps in a single program. With Olympic gold widely viewed as his to lose, Malinin also has made clear his long-term ambitions, saying he hopes to continue competing through the 2034 Salt Lake City Games.

First announced to the team was Andrew Torgashev, the 2026 U.S. silver medalist. The 24-year-old from Coral Springs, Florida rebounded from a difficult early season to deliver a breakout free skate in St. Louis, earning his first Olympic selection after multiple national podium finishes over the past several years.

“The reality is better than what I imagined,” Torgashev said when asked how he felt about making the U.S. Olympic team. “This is awesome.”

The naming of Maxim Naumov was one of the most emotional moments of the ceremony. Introduced by Olympic champion Scott Hamilton, Naumov has skated this season while grieving the loss of his parents, who were among the victims of the American Airlines Flight 5342 crash over the Potomac River last year. He briefly considered stepping away from the sport before returning to post a personal-best score at Grand Prix France.

“Year after year we talked about the Olympics,” Naumov said, remembering his parents who also were his coaches. “They would say, ‘We’re proud of you — but the job’s not finished.’”

Three-time world champions and seven-time U.S. champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates will lead the American ice dance contingent into their fourth Olympic Games together. Over 15 seasons as a team, they have built one of the most decorated résumés in the sport and enter Milan Cortina as legitimate contenders for individual gold, while anchoring the U.S. team event ambitions.

After a breakthrough season, Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik quickly have established themselves as one of the most exciting rising teams in international ice dance. Medals at both Grand Prix assignments and a Grand Prix Final appearance underscored their rapid ascent. Zingas, who transitioned from singles skating earlier in her career, emphasized the collective nature of their success.

“This is for all of us, not just me and Vadym,” she said.

Rounding out the ice dance squad are Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko, who peaked when it mattered most. After an uneven early season, the team returned to their acclaimed free dance to music from "Perfume" at nationals, delivering a confident, mature performance that secured their Olympic selection.

“Once I got my citizenship, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders,” said Carreira, who was born in Canada. “It feels so good to be American. I can’t wait to represent Team USA.”

Ellie Kim and Danny O’Shea earned their first Olympic selection after persevering through an injury-disrupted season. The veteran O’Shea, who will turn 35 shortly before the Games, is set to become the oldest U.S. Olympic pairs skater since 1932. The team rebounded on the Grand Prix circuit with two bronze medals before delivering two steady programs at nationals to lock in their spot.

After a hoped-for miracle failed to materialize for two-time reigning U.S. pairs champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, and for Finnish-born Efimova to have been given special consideration for an expedited U.S. citizenship, it was announced that Emily Chan and Spencer Howe were named to be the U.S Olympic team members. Chan and Howe had a disastrous short program, landing them in 8th place after the short program. But the pair pulled off an extraordinary rally for 3rd place in the free skate and 4th overall. “It was a crazy roller coaster,” Howe said. “And after the short, I told [Chan], ‘Hey, the job’s not finished.’ And here we are.”