Olympic figure skating schedule for Milano Cortina 2026, with start times in ET
Olympic figure skating at Milano Cortina 2026 runs from Feb. 6–19, 2026, starting with the team event and rolling into medal-deciding nights across ice dance, men’s singles, pairs, and women’s singles. With Milan six hours ahead of Eastern Time in February, many sessions that take place in the evening locally land in the afternoon in the U.S. and Canada—while the earliest team segments start before dawn in ET.
Below is the Olympic figure skating schedule in ET, built around the competition sessions that determine medals and the biggest cut lines.
Olympic figure skating schedule (ET) at a glance
The sport begins with the three-day team event, then moves into the four individual disciplines. Here are the headline sessions, all in ET:
| Date (2026) | Time (ET) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Feb. 6 | 3:55 a.m. | Team event: Ice dance rhythm dance |
| Sun, Feb. 8 | 1:30 p.m. | Team event: Pairs free skate (team medals decided later that day) |
| Wed, Feb. 11 | 1:30 p.m. | Ice dance: Free dance (medal event) |
| Fri, Feb. 13 | 1:00 p.m. | Men’s singles: Free skate (medal event) |
| Mon, Feb. 16 | 2:00 p.m. | Pairs: Free skate (medal event) |
| Thu, Feb. 19 | 1:00 p.m. | Women’s singles: Free skate (medal event) |
Exact segment order inside the team event matters because only the top five nations after the first round advance to the free skates and free dance in the final round.
Team event: three days, one cut line
The team event runs Feb. 6–8 (ET) and is split into two phases: an opening round (short programs and the rhythm dance) and a final round (free skates and the free dance) for the top five teams.
Friday, Feb. 6 (ET)
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3:55 a.m.: Ice dance rhythm dance
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5:35 a.m.: Pairs short program
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7:35 a.m.: Women’s short program
Saturday, Feb. 7 (ET)
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1:45 p.m.: Men’s short program
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4:05 p.m.: Ice dance free dance
Sunday, Feb. 8 (ET)
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1:30 p.m.: Pairs free skate
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2:45 p.m.: Women’s free skate
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3:55 p.m.: Men’s free skate
If you’re tracking standings, the pivotal moment is the end of the men’s short program portion of the team competition cycle: it tends to separate the medal contenders from the teams fighting just to reach the final round.
Ice dance: rhythm dance then medals
Ice dance begins immediately after the team event finishes, with the rhythm dance on Monday, Feb. 9 at 1:20 p.m. ET. The discipline’s medal-deciding session comes next:
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Free dance: Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 1:30 p.m. ET
Ice dance is often the tightest scoreboard of the four disciplines, so the rhythm dance can set up narrow margins that carry into the free dance.
Men’s singles: short program to free skate
Men’s singles starts with the short program on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 12:30 p.m. ET, which sets the starting order and point gaps for the medal event:
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Free skate: Friday, Feb. 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Because the free skate can swing standings dramatically, the short program typically decides who can realistically contend—and who needs help from mistakes ahead.
Pairs and women’s singles close out the run
Pairs begins mid-Games, followed by women’s singles:
Pairs
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Short program: Sunday, Feb. 15 at 1:45 p.m. ET
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Free skate (medals): Monday, Feb. 16 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Women’s singles
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Short program: Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 12:45 p.m. ET
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Free skate (medals): Thursday, Feb. 19 at 1:00 p.m. ET
For viewers, that back half of the schedule creates a steady rhythm of afternoon medal events in ET, with the biggest nights locally in Milan translating into watchable daytime starts in North America.
Sources consulted: International Skating Union; Milano Cortina 2026 official schedule; NBC Olympics; Canadian Olympic Committee
