Winter Olympics 2026: Podium damages figure skaters' blades after team event
· Yahoo Sports
MILAN — A faulty medal podium is causing some unexpected headaches for skaters at the Winter Olympics. After the medal-winning teams from the United States, Japan and Italy ascended the on-ice podium to receive their medals in Sunday night’s team event, several skaters reported that the surface of the podium damaged their blades, necessitating varying degrees of repair and sharpening.
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The need for skaters’ blades to be precisely tuned is obvious; properly sharpened blades allow for the graceful turns, spins and jumps that characterize Olympic skating. Different skaters prefer different degrees of sharpness and feel depending on the preferred ratio of “bite” (that is, grip on the ice) to “glide” (speed on the ice). Any force that blunts the blade — like, say, an unexpectedly rough surface — risks damaging that delicate balance.
The Milano Cortina Organizing Committee released the following statement on the podium matter to Yahoo Sports:
“During the Figure Skating Team Event medal ceremony, the anti-slip surface of the podium caused some damage to the athletes’ skates. Milano Cortina 2026 is taking steps to replace the surface to prevent a reoccurrence.
“To minimize the impact of the damage to athletes’ preparations and in agreement with ISU, Milano Cortina 2026 has made a skate-sharpening service available and offered an additional training session to the impacted National Olympic Committees. We also understand that some NOCs have offered their services to the impacted athletes from other countries in a true example of the Olympic spirit.
“Milano Cortina 2026 apologizes for the inconvenience caused and reiterates its commitment to ensuring the best possible conditions for all athletes.”
Jackie Wong of Rocker Skating reported Monday evening that Japan has filed a formal protest regarding the podium surface. However, it’s unclear on what basis Japan is protesting, or what remedies the Japanese NOC would seek.