Who is Isabeau Levito? Age, medals and events for 2026 Winter Olympics
Isabeau Levito, the 18-year-old American expected to anchor the U. S. challenge in women's figure skating, made her Olympic debut at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. Levito's short program score kept her comfortably inside the top 20 and advanced her to the free skate, while attention turns to whether she and her teammates can finally end a two-decade medal drought in the individual women's event.
Olympic debut and short program
Levito skated her women's short program on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, performing in the fifth and final group of six that took the ice beginning at 12: 45 p. m. ET. Her routine combined two songs—"Almost in Your Arms" and "Zou Bisou Bisou"—and finished with a total of 70. 84 points. That score placed her eighth out of 29 competitors and was enough to advance her into Thursday's free skate on Feb. 19, 2026, when the top 20 short program skaters will vie for medals.
Judges praised Levito's musical interpretation and technical elements; her performance showcased the smooth transitions and control that have become hallmarks of her skating. She said afterward that she was pleased with how she skated and energized by the crowd in the arena, noting the emotional resonance of competing in her mother's hometown.
Village life, teammates and the pressure to podium
Off the ice, Levito has leaned into the full Olympic Village experience. She quipped that "you can’t evict me, " saying she had "spent every night in the village" and was having "the best time" ahead of her competition. That buoyant mood has blended with the heavier expectation facing the U. S. women: Americans claimed gold in the team event, but no U. S. woman has stood on the individual Olympic podium since 2006, and the last American Olympic champion in women's singles was in 2002.
Levito is one of three Americans in the field alongside close friends Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu—fan-favorite teammates often nicknamed the Blade Angels. That trio will shoulder hopes for breaking the long podium drought and translating domestic and world-level success into Olympic hardware.
Background, style and what she brings to Milan
Born in Philadelphia and raised in Mount Holly, New Jersey, Levito arrived at the Games with a résumé that already includes a 2024 world silver medal and the 2023 national title. At 18, she blends advanced technical content with a performance style noted for its fluid linking moves and musical sensitivity. Those qualities have drawn comparisons to some of the sport's most celebrated skaters for her ability to marry difficulty with artistry.
With the short program now complete, Levito has two days to refine her free skate strategy and recover physically and mentally ahead of the free skate on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. If she can reproduce the composure and polish she showed in Milan on Tuesday, she will be in position to challenge for a spot on the podium and help end a long wait for an American woman to return to Olympic singles medal contention.
