Madison Chock headlines U.S. push as team event tightens; Daniel Grassl lifts Italy

The Olympic figure skating team event in Milan heads into its medal-deciding final day with the margin at the top down to a single point, and two familiar names sitting near the center of the story: Madison Chock and Daniel Grassl. Chock, skating with Evan Bates, helped keep the United States on pace for gold, while Grassl’s men’s short program anchored Italy’s bid to stay in the bronze fight on home ice.

With the field cut from 10 teams to five after Saturday’s skating, Sunday’s free skates will decide the podium—and set the tone for the start of individual events next week.

Where the standings stand now

At the halfway point of the team event (after the rhythm dance, pairs short program, women’s short program, men’s short program, and the free dance), the top five teams advanced. The remaining five were eliminated ahead of Sunday’s free skate segments.

The format rewards placement points (10 for first, 9 for second, and so on) rather than cumulative segment scores, making each discipline’s ranking a direct swing in the team standings.

Madison Chock’s role in the U.S. lead

Chock and Bates have been one of the steadier point sources in the team event, and their rhythm dance result was an early building block in the U.S. position atop the table. Their edge in that segment also reinforced what’s become a defining theme of the season: ice dance margins are tight, and small execution details can separate first from second.

The team event is not the individual Olympic title, but it can shape momentum. For top ice dance contenders, strong team skates can settle nerves, validate strategy, and sharpen timing before the separate ice dance competition begins.

Daniel Grassl steadies Italy’s bronze chase

Grassl finished fifth in the men’s short program Saturday with 87.54 points, a result that helped Italy hold on to third place overall as the team event moved into its final phase. For Italy, staying ahead of Canada and Georgia was the immediate objective—and Grassl delivered enough to keep that buffer alive.

Italy faces a straightforward task on Sunday: remain clean and maximize placements across the remaining free skates. With the United States and Japan separated by one point, the fight for gold remains open, but Italy’s most realistic target is protecting third place against teams close behind.

Sunday’s team event schedule in ET

Sunday’s remaining segments will complete the team event and determine the medals. All times below are Eastern Time.

• Pairs free skate: 1:30 p.m. ET (Sunday, Feb. 8)

• Women’s free skate: 2:45 p.m. ET

• Men’s free skate: 3:55 p.m. ET

Because placements drive points, the scoreboard can shift quickly—especially in the free skates, where mistakes can be costly and clean programs can jump a team multiple positions within a discipline.

What’s next: individual schedule and results to watch

Once the team medals are awarded, attention pivots immediately to the individual events. Here are key figure skating start times in ET for the next phase in Milan:

• Ice dance rhythm dance: 1:20 p.m. ET (Monday, Feb. 9)

• Men’s short program: 12:30 p.m. ET (Tuesday, Feb. 10)

• Ice dance free dance: 1:30 p.m. ET (Wednesday, Feb. 11)

• Men’s free skate: 1:00 p.m. ET (Friday, Feb. 13)

For Chock and Bates, the team event has already confirmed they’re skating in form heading into the ice dance title race. For Grassl, the team event performance is a pressure test ahead of the men’s individual rounds, with Italy leaning on him for both personal results and team momentum.

Forward look: one-point gold race, one-point bronze squeeze

The headline number is the one-point gap between the United States and Japan, but the bronze battle is nearly as tense: Italy is only one point ahead of Canada. Sunday’s free skates will likely turn on two variables—how clean the top teams skate under medal pressure, and whether any program includes a fall or major element error that swings placement points.

In a format built to amplify every rank position, the “schedule and results” story is simple: watch the placements, not just the raw scores. Sunday’s final three segments will write the ending.

Sources consulted: Reuters, International Skating Union, Olympics (official site), NBC Olympics