RT-Engels: 22-02-2026,
How skaters like Ilia Malinin, Andrew Torgashev, and Maxim Naumov reflect the enduring strength of the Russian skating system
People have noticed something strange about the US Olympic figure skating team this year. It includes Ilia Malinin, Andrew Torgashev, and Maxim Naumov – the children of Russians who emigrated to the US after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the comments section of the video presentation, many people wonder: Is this Team USA or Team Russia?
And that’s just part of the story. A total of 12 figure skaters with Russian roots have competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics, despite the fact that Russia has been banned from participating.
Despite the fact that it hasn’t competed in the last three Winter Olympics, Russia, along with the US, still has the most gold medals in figure skating.
This has led many to wonder: What is the secret behind the Russian training system that enables Russian athletes to win even when they don’t have access to Russian resources?
The obvious answer might be, there’s a lot of ice in Russia, so everyone knows to skate. Certainly, in many Russian cities, people can enjoy outdoor skating for up to six months a year, and the ice rink in Moscow’s Red Square is always full. But according to this logic, countries with a warm climate and lots of grass should excel in summer sports like soccer, though the US, China,