Ilia Malinin is still breaking in new skates at Winter Olympics: ‘Not always a fun time’
MILAN — It’s the one thing that can make or break a figure skater: The skates. As the U.S. figure skating team chases multiple gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, none of it can be possible if the skates aren’t perfect. Issues with skates can easily derail or throw off the best athletes in the sport. Advertisement It’s common for figure skaters to get new skates once a season, and those new skates need to be broken in. They can wind up being too loose or too tight. Or simply, they can just not feel right.












