Olympic Figure Skating Exhibition Gala Stuns Everyone With Goofy Costumes And Heartwarming Unity

The figure skating event at the Winter Olympics 2026 came to a ceremonial end with the traditional exhibition gala.

Olympic Figure Skating Exhibition Gala Stuns Everyone With Goofy Costumes And Heartwarming Unity

Kaori Sakamoto took the traditional selfie with the figure skating exhibition gala team after the grand finale (Image via @ISU_Figure on X)

In Short
  • The Olympic Figure Skating Exhibition Gala showcased a blend of dazzling performances and whimsical costumes, celebrating cultural unity.
  • Ilia Malinin made a notable comeback, performing in a hoodie with "Fear" written on it and executing synchronized backflips with Adam Siao Him Fa.
  • The event concluded with all skaters participating in a heartwarming finale, highlighting the spirit of art and sport.

As the curtain drops on two weeks of exciting action, the Olympic Figure Skating Exhibition Gala gave it a storybook ending with dazzling skates, sensational costumes, and a wholesome coming together of cultures. In the event that took place in the Milano Ice Skating Arena, a two-and-a-half-hour spectacle featuring invitation-only medallists and fan favorites from the various events in Milano Cortina 2026.

The event started with an opening number by former Italian bronze medalist Carolina Kostner followed by Daniel Grassl taking the ice. Tim Dieck and Olivia Smart, the ice dancing pair who awed the audience with a number from The Dune in their free skate, took it up a notch with a goal net and a penalty match.

Paul Poirier and Piper Gilles, who won the bronze medal in ice dance, brought out their iconic emotion and chemistry in a blissful artistry. Meanwhile, Niina Petrokina of Estonia brought out a mastery, taking out Ilia Malinin and Cha Jun-Hwan, staying true to the tunes of the cult classic from the musical Chicago, “Cell Block Tango.” Lee Hae-In of the Republic of Korea channeled a grim reaper, her durumagi billowing around as she skated to How it’s Done from the anime film Kpop: Demon Hunters.

In addition to the pair, Kaori Sakamoto, Ami Nakai, Adeliia Petrosian, Amber Glenn, and the gold medalist Alysa Liu took the ice as women’s single skaters.

Malinin, who suffered an uncharacteristic off-day during his men’s singles and was targeted by vile attacks online, had a resilient comeback, skating in a hoodie with the words “Fear” emblazoned upward down on it. He also performed synchronized backflips with Adam Siao Him Fa. Adam, who paid tribute to Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo in his individual events, chose to pay homage to Vincent Van Gogh.

Mikhail Shaidorov, who won the men’s singles, brought back the panda costume to the Gala. As Po from Kung Fu Panda, the silliness shone through as he fought off skaters dressed in Sub-Zero and Deadpool costumes. In the goofy number, he landed a pirouette and a triple toe loop and even interacted with actor Jackie Chan.

In the ultimate finale, all skaters came together for a short dance routine, with all the four individual event winners taking the spotlight, culminating a heartwarming blend of art and sport.

After a dazzling end to the Winter Olympics, focus shifts to the ISU Figure Skating World Championships

As one event comes to a close, there’s no rest for the athletes; there’s a new rush they are chasing. The World Championships 2026 are scheduled to be held at the O2 Arena in Prague from March 24 to March 29, 2026.

Madison Chock, Evan Bates
Madison Chock and Evan Bates will be looking for their fourth straight gold medal at the World Championships (Image via Fox News)

The annual competition, hosted by Prague for the third time, is one of the top tournaments in the figure skating world, where the podium holds the same importance as the Winter Olympics. The event is set to feature 200 figure skaters from 50 different countries and will participate in the four disciplines: men, women, pair skating, and ice dance.

Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu, and Isabeau Levito will participate in the women’s singles. Instead of Maxim Naumov, the men’s single program will feature Jason Brown, who was not named in the Olympics after his error-ridden eighth-place finish in the National Championships. In pairs skating, Danny O’Shea and Ellie Kam, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, and Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman will represent the country.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who won a silver medal in a very controversial ice dance program in the Winter Olympics 2026, will return. The other US ice dance pairs at Milan, Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik and Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko will also be making an appearance in Prague.

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