ISU Skate to Milano Olympic Qualifier Preview

FIGURE SKATING

Skate to Milano 2026: More than 100 Figure Skaters to compete for their Olympic dream

16 Sep 2025

The heat is on at the Beijing National Indoor Stadium (CHN): 111 Figure Skaters/Couples chase their Olympic dream at the ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier event. The event kicks off on September 18 and runs through September 21, marking the final opportunity for skaters from 49 countries, along with four neutral AIN athletes (read here), to secure the last remaining quota places for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

5 spots for Women
5 spots for Men
3 spots for Pairs
4 spots for Ice Dance

Overview of the top contenders

The Women: ISU European Champion Loena Hendrickx (BEL) on the comeback trail

In the Women category, competition will be tough with two ISU European Champions headlining the field.

2024 European Champion Loena Hendrickx (BEL) is on the comeback trail after missing the pre-Olympic season due to injury.

Loena Hendrickx (BEL) at ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2024 in Montreal, Quebec (CAN). © ISU

2023 European Champion Anastasiia Gubanova (GEO) failed to qualify a spot at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 in Boston and is looking for redemption.

Anastasiia Gubanova (GEO) Women's Free Skating at the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2025 in Tallinn (EST). © ISU

2022 Olympian Josefin Taljegard (SWE) was close to retirement but her passion for Figure Skating came back and she is ready to give it her all.

Josefin Taljegard (SWE) Women's Free Skating at the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2025 in Tallinn (EST). © ISU

Adeliia Petrosian (AIN) has landed the triple Axel and quadruple jumps in competition but has never competed at the international senior level.

In total, 25 Women will be competing for 5 spots.

The Men: An open race

The Men’s event looks open with several competitors having the chance to get into the top five.

2024 Youth Olympic Games Champion Hyungyeom Kim (KOR) has to use this last chance for a second spot for the Korean Men as he narrowly missed the final at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025.

Hyungyeom Kim (KOR) at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 Boston (USA). © ISU

Crowd favorite Donovan Carrillo (MEX) wants to make it to his second Olympic Winter Games. He was the first Mexican Figure Skater to compete at the Olympic Winter Games in 30 years when he went to Beijing in 2022.

Donovan Carrillo (MEX) at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2024 Montreal (CAN). © GettyImages

Francois Pitot (FRA) has the chance to earn a third Olympic spot for the French Men.

Francois Pitot (FRA) at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2024 Skate America Texas (USA). © AFP

Petr Gumennik (AIN) is a strong contender but has not competed internationally since 2021.

In total, 26 Men will be competing for 5 spots

The Pairs: A fierce battle awaits

There are only three spots left for the Pairs and the battle will be fierce.

ISU Junior Grand Prix Final Champions Jiaxuan Zhang/Yihang Huang (CHN) are China’s hope to get a spot. 2022 Olympic Champions Wenjing Sui/Cong Han have announced their comeback but are currently listed as substitutes.

Jiaxuan Zhang and Yihang Huang (CHN) at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2025 in Debrecen (HUN). © ISU

Yuna Nagaoka/Sumitada Moriguchi (JPN) looked strong in their first outings this season and are aiming at getting a second spot for Japan.

Yuna Nagaoka & Sumitada Moriguchi (JPN) at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 in Boston (USA) ©ISU

Audrey Shin/Balazs Nagy (USA) have the chance to earn a third spot for the U.S. Pairs.
2022 Olympian Tae Ok Ryom (PRK) returns to the scene with new partner Kum Chol Han.

In total, 11 Pairs will be competing for 3 spots.

The Ice Dance: ISU European medalists Reed/Ambrulevicius (LTU) lead the field

The pressure is on in the Ice Dance event with only four spots left.

2024 European Ice Dance bronze medalists Allison Reed/Saulius Ambrulevicius (LTU) missed out on qualifying a spot at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 and fight to make it to the Olympic Games in their third attempt. They had earned a quota place in 2018 and 2022 but were ineligible as US-born Reed did not have Lithuanian citizenship.

Allison Reed & Saulius Ambrulevicius (LIT) at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 in Boston (USA) ©ISU

Holly Harris/Jason Chan (AUS) narrowly failed to get an Olympic quota place at the World Championships.

2022 Olympians Shiyue Wang/Xinyu Lu (CHN) are back after a break.

Shiyue Wang and Xinyu Liu (CHN) at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating - Skate Canada International 2023 in Vancouver (CAN) ©ISU

2025 Asian Winter Games Champions Utana Yoshida/Masaya Morita (JPN) have high hopes.
2022 Olympian in Single Skating Nikolaj Majorov (SWE) is aiming at his second Olympic Games now as an Ice Dancer with partner Milla Ruud Reitan.

In total, 19 Ice Dance couples are competing for 4 spots.

Who is eligible to compete for a quota place in Beijing?

At the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Boston (USA), 24 Olympic quota places for Men and Women, 16 for Pairs and 19 for Ice Dance couples were allocated.
All countries that have not yet earned a quota spot at the ISU World Championships 2025 and those that have earned the chance to go for a second or third spot can participate in the ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier event in Beijing.
The ISU has also approved a limited number of skaters affiliated with ISU Members in Russia (Russian Skating Union and the Figure Skating Federation of Russia) and Belarus (Skating Union of Belarus) to compete in designated Olympic Qualification events during the 2025/26 season as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) (read here). In line with this decision, a total of four eligible AIN Figure Skaters, who have successfully passed the special screening process (read here), will be competing in Beijing for a quota place in Single Skating. For more information regarding the participation of AIN athletes, please read ISU Communication 2708 and ISU Communication 2680.

How can quota spots be earned in Beijing?

The Skaters who compete in the ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier in Beijing have to be different from those who reached the final Free Skating/Free Dance at the ISU World Championships 2025 and qualified a spot.
All the remaining quota places will be filled up during this qualifying event in Beijing, which is the only qualification opportunity for Figure Skaters before the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
A maximum of one spot (or one additional spot respectively) per discipline can be earned.
Only one Skater/Couple per country and discipline can be entered.
If a country returns the quota place(s) they earned at the ISU World Championships, these spots will be available as well. For late returns of unused quota places, a standby list will be created on the basis of the results achieved at the qualifying competition to fill these vacant spots.
No minimum score is needed to participate in the Olympic Qualifier event in Beijing. All Skaters competing will have an equal opportunity to earn one of the remaining spots.

For further information, read Rule 400 in the ISU Special Regulations & Technical Rules 2024 and the Information about the qualification system for Figure Skating.

Event Schedule:

The schedule of the event is as follows:

Friday, September 19: Ice Dance Rhythm Dance, Pairs & Women’s Short Program
Saturday, September 20: Men’s Short Program, Pairs & Women’s Free Skating
Sunday, September 21: Ice Dance Free Dance, Men’s Free Skating

Find out here where to watch the competitions.

Facts & Figures Recap: Olympic Figure Skating entries

First Qualification event:

ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 in Boston (USA): A total of 31 countries have earned quota places in Boston and the following total of spots have been filled across the different segments (more information in ISU Communication 2696):

24 Men
24 Women
16 Pairs
19 Ice Dance couples

Second Qualification event:

ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier in Beijing (CHN): A total of 17 remaining Olympic spots to be earned at the ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier in Beijing (CHN):