What are figure skating's biggest storylines heading into the Winter Olympics?

If you fall in love with the world of figure skating every four years, this episode is for you. Host Nick McCarvel and fellow Olympics.com producer Lena Smirnova sit down to discuss the biggest storylines in the sport ahead of February's Winter Olympics at Milano Cortina 2026. And there's a lot of them! From the "Quad God" Ilia Malinin's dominance to the fascinating story of 42-year-old Deanna Stellato Dudek to the surprise comebacks of Olympic medallists and more, Nick and Lena bring reporting and insights into the must-know stories ahead of the Games. Lena also pulls the curtain back on the Olympics.com series Ink on Blades , which dives into the artistic process that Olympic programs go through before being presented to the world. Plus, hear from Malinin and fellow top American Isabeau Levito on everything from how they package their programs to creating a community of support among their fellow skaters.

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What are figure skating's biggest storylines heading into the Winter Olympics? is an episode from Olympic Channel Podcast by Olympics.com.

This episode is 00:57:25 long.

This episode was published on Nov 12, 2025.

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