Olympic figure skating starts with the team event. Here's what to know about it

The Olympic Games will award their first figure skating medals this weekend, not to an individual star, but to the nation that proves its strategic depth and tactical prowess. The team event, a high-stakes prelude to the individual competitions, kicks off Friday, pitting the world's top skating federations against each other in a chess match on ice where roster management is as critical as a perfectly landed jump.

At the forefront is a compelling rivalry between the United States and Japan. Team USA, the defending gold medalist from 2022, enters as the favorite, while Japan aims to upgrade its 2022 silver. The dynamic is intensified by the continued absence of the Russian Olympic Committee, whose 2022 disqualification for a doping violation elevated the U.S. and Japan and now leaves the bronze medal tantalizingly within reach for several other nations.

The Anatomy of the Team Event

First introduced at the 2014 Sochi Games, the team event is a comprehensive test of a country's entire figure skating program. It aggregates performances across all four disciplines, rewarding nations with broad-based excellence.

The competition unfolds in two phases over three days:

• The Qualification Phase: The 10 qualified countries each enter a skater or team in the men's short program, women's short program, pairs short program, and ice dance rhythm dance.
• Point System: Skaters are ranked within their discipline, earning points for their country based on placement (10 points for 1st, 9 for 2nd, and so on, down to 1 point for 10th).
• The Cut: After the four short programs, the points are tallied. Only the top five countries advance to the final round.
• The Final Phase: The five remaining teams compete in the free skate (for men, women, and pairs) and the free dance. Points are again awarded based on placement within this smaller group (10 for 1st, 9 for 2nd, etc.). The country with the highest cumulative point total from all eight segments wins gold.

The Strategic Calculus: Depth and Decision-Making

The event's primary strategic layer involves roster substitutions. A country is not required to use the same skater for both the short and long programs within a discipline. This creates a complex resource-management problem for team leaders.

• The Substitution Rule: Each of the top five qualifying nations can make up to two substitutions. For example, a country could use one male skater for the short program and a different one for the free skate.
• Managing Athlete Endurance: This rule is crucial for preserving the health and energy of top skaters who are also medal contenders in their individual events. The grueling Olympic schedule means that competing in both segments of the team event adds two high-pressure performances to an already demanding two weeks. "We are going to prioritize both physical and mental health," U.S. skater Amber Glenn noted, highlighting the delicate balance teams must strike.
• The Men's Crucial Juncture: The men's discipline faces the tightest turnaround. The team event free skate concludes on Sunday, just two days before the men's individual short program begins. This forces teams to decide whether to deploy their top male skater twice for maximum points or rest him for his individual gold-medal pursuit.

The Power Players: A Look at the Rosters

Team USA's primary advantage is its unparalleled depth. By securing the maximum three quota spots in the men's, women's, and ice dance categories, the U.S. brought a 16-person contingent to the Games—the largest of any nation. This provides a deep well of talent to draw from. In contrast, rivals Japan and Canada each have 12-person teams.

"This team in particular is so deep, so talented, and has a great opportunity for a gold medal," said U.S. ice dancer Evan Bates, a four-time Olympian.

Here are the key athletes and matchups for the opening phase:

• Women's Singles: The U.S. has tapped Alysa Liu, the 20-year-old reigning world champion, for the short program. She will face Japan's formidable Kaori Sakamoto, a three-time world champion and the 2022 individual bronze medalist.
• Pairs: Team USA's 2024 national champions, Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea, will face a significant challenge from Japan's two-time world champions, Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi.
• Ice Dance: The U.S. entry features the powerhouse duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates. The reigning seven-time national champions were part of the 2022 gold-medal-winning team and are heavily favored to win the rhythm dance segment. "Any time you get the opportunity to compete at the Olympics, you want to cherish it," Chock stated.
• The Malinin Factor: For the men's short program on Saturday, the U.S. will deploy its top asset, Ilia Malinin. The gold medal favorite possesses the "quad axel," a jump no one has ever landed at an Olympics. The strategic question is whether he will risk the high-difficulty element in the team event, where it isn't strictly necessary for a top finish, or save it for the individual competition.

The Race for Bronze and What's Next

With the U.S. and Japan as the presumptive top two, the battle for the final podium spot is wide open. Russia's continued ban over the war in Ukraine has created a power vacuum that several teams are eager to fill.

"There are so many countries vying for that bronze spot," commented Canadian ice dancer Piper Gilles. "There's Georgia, there's us, everybody's pushing for it."

The event proceeds as follows:

• Friday: The competition opens with the short programs for women, pairs, and the rhythm dance for ice dance.
• Saturday: The men's short program and the ice dance free dance will take place. Following these events, the field will be cut to five teams, and final roster substitutions for the free skates will be announced.
• Sunday: The competition concludes with the pairs, women's, and men's free skates. The final points will be tallied, and the first figure skating medal ceremony of the Games will crown the champion nation.

This event serves as a critical tone-setter. An early gold medal provides a significant morale and momentum boost for a nation's entire Olympic delegation. More than just a warm-up, the team competition is a definitive test of a country's skating infrastructure, strategic acumen, and the collective will of its athletes.