Isabeau Levito and the 'Blade Angels' Keep Cool as U.S. Chases Long-Overshadowed Olympic Medal
MILAN — With a world title at stake in roughly 24 hours, Isabeau Levito has an unexpectedly domestic problem on her mind: a plant in her room has begun to grow mold. The 2024 world silver medalist delivered the line with a smile on Monday (ET), underlining how she and her teammates are trying to stay grounded amid the turbulence at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.
A quiet focus amid Olympic chaos
Chaos has marked the competition: one leading favorite fell out of contention, a celebrated ice dance pair left with a contentious silver, and the U. S. team’s expected dominance has been shaken. Still, Levito and her teammates are emphasizing routine and humor rather than hysteria. After a one-hour on-ice practice and a string of media obligations, Levito’s immediate priority was dealing with the small domestic nuisance — a tidy reminder of the ordinary life that exists beyond Olympic glare.
Levito’s demeanor reflects a broader team approach. The group’s calm is partly strategic: staying present, managing stress over a prolonged competition, and protecting mental bandwidth for the moments that matter on the ice. The long span between the team event and the individual women’s competition has been taxing; one skater described the experience as being in a high-pressure atmosphere for an extended time. That strain, they say, can take a toll physically and emotionally.
Depth, diversity and a real shot at ending a slump
The United States entered the Milan event with high expectations but, as of late Monday (ET), had yet to capture a gold in an individual event. The women’s field, however, offers perhaps the deepest U. S. contingent in decades: three world champions and a collection of distinct styles and backstories that together form a formidable group.
Alysa Liu, the reigning world champion, has already made history by becoming the first U. S. woman to win the world title since 2006. Amber Glenn brings raw power and a triple axel to her programs and has been open about early-career battles with depression and an eating disorder, citing hope that new age restrictions will relieve pressure on young athletes. Levito is the balletic presence in the trio, blending classical lines with a playful off-ice personality.
The quartet’s diversity — stylistically and personally — has been framed as a strength rather than a liability. In a sport that once prized a single "ice princess" ideal, these skaters embrace multiple identities and aesthetic choices, believing that their differences increase the team’s overall competitive upside. All are aligned on the same objective: perform their best, and let results follow. If they achieve that, internal rivalries fade and team satisfaction rises.
Nicknames, team gold and the long game
The group has also leaned into levity, crafting a nickname for themselves after dismissing a string of earlier suggestions for various reasons. Their final choice melds pop-culture references with skating imagery — a playful badge of unity that one skater suggested, and another deflected when fans asked who coined it.
Two of the women already contributed to a gold-medal effort in the team event, providing proof that the unit can deliver under pressure. But the women’s singles competition remains a different challenge: distinct expectations, fresh nerves and a condensed spotlight. For Levito and her teammates, the challenge now is to translate the team’s earlier success and their calm daily rituals into competitive excellence when the short program begins on Tuesday (ET).
Whether Levito’s biggest immediate concern — the moldy plant — will remain a priority after she steps onto the ice is uncertain. What is clear is that the U. S. women enter the main event with talent, depth and a resilient mindset that could finally end a two-decade Olympic singles drought.
