As a young girl, I would stumble across YouTube videos of figure skaters, ice dancers, and pair skaters at the Winter Olympics. Fast forward to the present day, and I have developed figure skating as a hobby. It began two years ago when I dived into the “lore” of Russian figure skating. As I dug deeper, I found the sport intimidating. Maybe it was the methods of strict dieting, or the early hours of training routines, or maybe the idea that the sport belongs to younger skaters only. Then I discovered more successful skaters worldwide. I realized that this sport doesn’t always have to be daunting, and there is more to figure skating than just quad jumps.
Skaters from the U.S., Japan, Canada, South Korea, Italy, and other countries have been revolutionizing the sport for years. All these skaters have inspired me to be brave on the ice and push towards expanding my skills. But there is something special about the current American female skaters who have sparked hope in the nation and me as well.
The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics are just around the corner. With the Olympics coming up, the competition is only getting harder, and the pressure becomes intense. In addition, there has been a drought of female American figure skaters medaling at the Winter Olympics. Sarah Hughes’ gold win in 2002 was the last time the U.S. saw a female skater place first. As well, Sasha Cohen’s silver in 2006 was the last we’ve seen of an American female skater medaling in years.
Here are America’s inspiring, top female skaters who could end the medal drought.
Amber Glenn
This skater from Plano, Texas, has recently been causing noise in the figure skating world for her top-scoring wins last year. OK, maybe I am biased because she is from Texas, but this woman is truly an underdog! Amber Glenn was the sixth American woman to land a triple axel in competition. But with this tremendous achievement, in recent years, she has had a history of breaking under pressure. Recently, she has been an advocate for mental health struggles and the pressures of being an athlete.
Yet, her struggles with pressure did not stop her! In 2024, she became the first woman of the LGBT+ community to win the U.S. National Championships. It didn’t end there because later in the year, she had a solid run of winning gold after gold in international competitions, including the 2024 Grand Prix Final. This year, she has placed second twice at the Nebelhorn Trophy and the China Grand Prix.
Alysa Liu
This skater from California became a child prodigy when she won her first national title at age 13. Even more insane, she was the first American woman to land a quadruple lutz jump and the youngest American skater to land a triple axel in competition. Moving forward, she became the youngest American skater at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, but shortly after, she announced her retirement at age 16.
Shockingly, she announced her return in the 2024 season, where she then won her first Grand Prix medal for Skate America. At this time, she was in talks for placing on the podium for the 2025 World Championships, and in return, she placed gold!
Isabeau Levito
A swan on ice! This skater from New Jersey skates with grace every time she steps on the ice. She has won many medals, including gold in the 2022 World Junior Championships, gold in the 2023 U.S. National Championships, and silver at the 2024 World Championships!
What makes Isabeau so unique? Her skating style! Figure skating standards have recently evolved to executing the most difficult jumps, but Isabeau still brings the classic elegance of beautiful spins, step sequences, and artistry.
As a beginner figure skater myself, I am stoked to see what this new Olympic season brings! With top female figure skaters in the world, including American skaters, perhaps the nation might see an American Female Skater reach the podium in February!