The 2025 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Boston will be the highlight of the Figure Skating season and the primary qualification event for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. A total of 142 skaters are competing at the Olympics next February. 

Total Quota Places for Milano Cortina 2026:

• Men: 29 spots
• Women: 29 spots
• Pairs: 19 spots
• Ice Dance: 23 spots

Quota Allocation at Boston 2025:

• Men: 24 spots
• Women: 24 spots
• Pairs: 16 spots
• Ice Dance: 19 spots

The remaining quota places will be allocated during the Olympic Qualifying Competition in Beijing from September 17-21, 2025.

How quota places are earned?

Countries can secure a maximum of three quota places per discipline at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, depending on placement points. The calculation follows the same ISU Championships quota system:

• To earn three quotas: top two skaters/couples must not exceed 13 placement points.
• To earn two quotas: top two skaters/couples must not exceed 28 placement points.
• If only one Skater/Couple competes at the World Championships: the Skater/Couple must finish in the top 10 to have a chance to earn a second Olympic spot at the second Olympic qualifying event in Beijing for their country.

Placement Points System:

Points are added up by combining the placements of all the country's skaters in a specific discipline. The lower the total points, the better, because fewer points mean higher placements.

• Ranks 1-16: placement equals points.
• If a skater/couple competes but doesn't qualify for the final (Free Skating/Free Dance) they will obtain18 points
• If a skater/couple qualifies for the final but finishes lower than 16th place, they get 16 points 

However Olympic spots are secured only if the same number of competitors reached the Free Skating / Free Dance.

Example 1: Country A’s women skaters finish 2nd, 4th, and 8th. The total place points of the top two skaters = 6 points (2+4), earning three quota places. All three reached Free Skating, so all three Olympic spots are secured.

Example 2: Country B’s ice dancers place 1st, 7th, and 23rd. Top two = 8 points (1+7), earning three quota places. The third couple missed Free Dance, so two spots are secured, with a chance to earn a third at the Olympic qualifying competition in Beijing.

Example 3: Country C's only skater places 6th, earning one quota place. They can compete for a second spot at the Olympic qualifying competition in Beijing.

Second Chance in Beijing

Quota Allocation at Beijing 2025:

• Men: 5 spots
• Women: 5 spots
• Pairs: 3 spots
• Ice Dance: 4 spots

If the 24/16/19 quota places per discipline were not filled by the finalists in Boston, these will also be up for grabs in Beijing. The same applies if a country cannot use the spot(s) they earned.

All competing skaters in Beijing will have an opportunity to earn one of the remaining spots.

Combined Total Elements Score

In order to participate in the Olympic Winter Games, the Skaters must have achieved the Combined Total Elements Score set for the 2026 ISU European and Four Continents Figure Skating Championships or in an ISU recognized International Competition during the 2024/25 or 2025/26 seasons. However, no minimum score is required to participate in the Olympic Qualifying Competition in Beijing.

Olympic Team Event

The Olympic Figure Skating Team Event includes ten qualified teams based on results from the 2025 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, the 2025/26 ISU Grand Prix series, and, if needed, the 2025 ISU European/Four Continents Championships, ISU World Junior Championships, and ISU Junior Grand Prix series (excluding the Final). Only skaters already qualified for the individual events may participate. The qualified Teams will be confirmed following the ISU Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan (December 4-7, 2025).

Additional Athletes Quota & Host Country Spots

Up to five additional quota spots could be available, with priority given to the host nation, Italy. They have the right to enter one additional Skater or Couple per discipline if they have not qualified a spot at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 or the Olympic Qualifying competition in Beijing. 

If any remaining quotas are still left, they could be used by countries that have qualified a team but do not have entries in all disciplines in the individual competitions. They can complete their team with one Skater or Couple for the Team Event. This Skater/Couple would however only be allowed to compete in the Team Event.

All athletes must still achieve the Combined Total Elements Score requirement.

Individual Neutral Athletes can only earn quotas at the Olympic Qualifying event in Beijing as per the ISU Communication 2680 and for further information please refer to the AIN Q&A here.

Summary Checklist:

• Olympic entries: 29 Men, 29 Women, 19 Pairs, 23 Ice Dance couples
• Number of possible Olympic entries per country will be assigned based on the results in Boston.
• Quota places allocated in Boston: maximum of 24 Men, 24 Women, 16 Pairs, 19 Ice Dance Couples 
• Olympic spots are definite only if the same number of competitors reached the final Free Skating/Free Dance in Boston.
• Second chance at the Olympic Qualifying Competition in Beijing for countries that did not get a spot in Boston or need to confirm a second or third spot.
• A country can earn a maximum of one quota place (or one additional quota place) per discipline in Beijing.
• The total number of Figure Skating quota places for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games was reduced at the request of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

 The ISU will publish the confirmed earned quota places shortly after the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025. 

For further information, see Rule 400 in the ISU Special Regulations & Technical Rules 2024 and ISU Communication 2680 on the access of the AIN to the qualifying competition and the information about the qualification system for Figure Skating.