It’s almost time for the men to take center ice in Milan — and you know what that means: maximum chaos potential.

Jackie and Michelle dig into the contenders they keep coming back to — Ilia Malinin, Yuma Kagiyama, Shun Sato, and the men who might mix things up. Who will hold it together when Olympic pressure hits? … and will there be more positive or negative Menning?

Jackie and Michelle sit down before heading to Milan to make their Olympic Ice Dance predictions, breaking down how they see the podium battle shaping up once competition begins.

They get into how the medal fight could play out between Americans Madison Chock & Evan Bates, France’s Laurence Fournier-Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron, Canadian contenders Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier, how team GB's Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson could shake up the standings, and where hometown favorites Charlène Guignard & Marco Fabbri might land skating in front of an Italian crowd.

From politicking and momentum to levels, GOE, and nerves on the Olympic stage, they walk through what they think will actually make the difference when the medals are on the line — and which teams are best positioned to deliver when it counts most.

Jackie Wong checks in from Milan with a full preview of the Olympic Team Event, walking through how the whole thing actually works before skating even starts. He talks through how countries decide who skates each segment, when we’ll learn the short program and rhythm dance lineups, and why those decisions matter way beyond just the team medal.

He also gets into how the U.S. and Japan could put themselves in position to fight for gold, what strategy choices federations have to make between chasing team points and protecting skaters for their individual events, and which disciplines could end up swinging the standings.

Basically, if you’re already debating lineup strategy or just want to be fully prepped before the first team event skater hits the ice, Jackie walks through everything you need to know before competition begins.

Jackie Wong checks in from Milan with a packed news week as the Games draw closer. He gets into the latest developments around Deanna Stellato-Dudek, checks in on where things stand for Italian home favorites Sara Conti and Niccolò Macii, and runs through the skating names set to lead their countries into the Opening Ceremony as flag bearers.

Plus, Jackie breaks down the unexpectedly messy Minions music rights saga involving Tommy Guarino Sabaté, and why music clearance has suddenly become one of the most talked-about off-ice issues of the week.

Beloved commentator Mark Hanretty joins Jackie Wong on The Rocker Skating Podcast to break down the Grand Prix season, share how he approaches calling the action, and preview what he’s most excited to see when figure skating kicks off at the Milano Cortina Olympics later this week.

They also dig into how Ice Dance has evolved in recent years, what changes have made the discipline stronger, and how the sport can keep adapting moving forward — plus a fun shoutout to podcast favorite Josefin Taljegård as one of the sports most engaging performers.

Chief Skate Nerd Jackie Wong chats with legendary Olympian, choreographer, and broadcaster Sandra Bezic ahead of the Milano Cortina Games. They break down what it really takes to craft modern pair skating programs, how creativity fits in the era of IJS, and tips for making the most of an Olympic experience.

This week's episode includes news about Olympic flag bearers like Olivia Smart, retirement news including Tomoki Hiwatashi, and even some thoughts on Netflix-style Figure Skating dramas. Are we in or out?

Jackie and Michelle are back to break down everything that went down at the 2026 Four Continents Championships — the medals, the moments, and the performances that might end up mattering way more than we realize heading into an Olympic season.

In the men’s event, Japan’s Kao Miura came through when it counted, taking the title after a high-stakes showdown with Junhwan Cha, who delivered one of the most compelling performances of his season. It was a reminder that the Olympic podium conversation is very far from settled.

Pairs brought one of the biggest stories of the week, with Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov climbing from third after the short program to win gold. Their momentum was impossible to ignore, while Wenjing Sui and Han Cong claimed silver in spite of obvious injuries that have their Olympic chances in question.

In ice dance, history was made as the Americans swept the podium. Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik led the charge with a confident, statement-making win, followed by Caroline Green and Michael Parsons, with Oona Brown and Gage Brown rounding out the sweep in bronze.

It's the last of the ISU Championships before Milano-Cortina 2026 and the stakes just keep getting higher!

Jackie and Michelle are back to break down all the action at Four Continents 2026.

In Pairs, Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi are looking to make a statement, while Wenjing Sui and Cong Han bring the experience, and Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov are ready to skate like it’s their own little Olympic moment.

The Men’s field is full of chaos and excitement — from Kao Miura’s consistency to Junhwan Cha’s daring jumps, with Mikhail Shaidorov and Tomoki Hiwatashi all looking for redemption.

On the Women’s side, Mone Chiba and Ami Nakai lead a deep, talented field that includes Jia Shin, Bradie Tennell, Sarah Everhardt, and the exciting return of Gabby Daleman, with plenty of dark horses ready to surprise.

And in Ice Dance, the Americans are battling it out — Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, Caroline Green and Michael Parsons, and Oona Brown and Gage Brown are all in the mix, while Fabbri and Ayer could shake things up as a wildcard.

They share all their hot takes on who’s likely to podium, who could have a breakout performance, and what this competition could mean for momentum heading into the Winter Olympics.

Even in the momentary lull between Nationals season and ISU Championships season, there was plenty of news! Jackie and Michelle get you up to speed.