Figure skating is currently suffering from a crisis of democratisation, mirroring other cultural industries’ pivot away from a consistent series of artistic movements towards a more lawless slew of random, thoughtless trends. In these cultural spaces, the desire to have the culture shared and shaped by more people has meant that traditional tastemakers have lost their status, resulting in a noticeable drop in overall quality. Of course, the randomness allows for the chance to witness higher highs when all the stars align, but equally, the lows can really be low.
Historically, figure skating relied on the strict gatekeeping of choreography and music to maintain a restricted but ultimately consistent image. Today, the freedom of choice has created a landscape dominated by bland elevator music choreographed by Benoit Richaud, or jarring choices like Ilia Malinin skating to horrendous phonk remixes; like he’s reenacting a TikTok edit about his ‘aura’. Because the current judging system focuses on technical, easily quantifiable aspects, rather than penalising artistic choices, the sport is permeated by Frankenstein-like, quad-spamming routines where the artistic quality is pretty much irrelevant. This has unintentionally contributed to the sport becoming even more closed-off and inaccessible to new viewers who are unfamiliar with the technical criteria.
Fortunately, this year’s Winter Olympics marked a turning point, with Alysa Liu’s victory serving as proof that taste matters immensely. People respond to Liu not because she restricts herself to the sport’s tastes or perfect rotations, but because she possesses genuinely memorable programmes. People will remember the image of her performance to an incredible Donna Summer song like ‘Macarthur Park’ or to a beautiful love song like Laufey’s ‘Promise.’ Having made headlines for her early retirement, a song with lyrics like “I made a promise that I would never go back” during her comeback is simply excellent. The emotional resonance between her identity and her art is what draws new fans in.
This focus on artistry was visible across the broader Olympic field, as skaters increasingly took risks by pulling from popular culture and performing to what they genuinely connect to. US skater Amber Glenn captivated audiences by skating to Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer,’ while Japanese skater Mona Chiba performed a short programme to ‘Last Dance,’ another great Donna Summer song. Even wonder boy Illia Malinin has shared this sentiment, saying he is more focused on the “image you leave for the sport” than winning medals.
Even when the ice dance event was marred by various controversies, including the use of plagiarised, AI-generated backing tracks by Czech duo Katerina Mrazkova and Daniel Mrazek, artistry still found a way to the forefront. I hope many will walk away with the memory of Canadian duo Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier’s exquisitely detailed free dance set to Govardo’s rendition of Don McLean’s ‘Vincent.’ With a matching Starry Night-themed costume, it was another important example of a wider section of the competitors focusing on their artistic vision.
While purists might fixate on under-rotations or argue that Liu lacks the pure skating skills of competitors like Kaori Sakamoto or Mona Chiba, harping on these minute granularities alienates new audiences. An awesome, emotionally resonant programme translates. By prioritising artistry, musicality, and joy, this year’s Olympic winners are proving that making taste matter again is the key to bringing life back to the sport. Ultimately, this artistic renaissance is best embodied by Liu herself. Stepping onto ice in an arena once headlined by Whitney Houston and Lady Gaga, she cemented an unthinkable comeback and is now the face of the sport for so many.
“Alysa Liu – Women’s free – 2026 Nationals 05” by SpiritedMichelle is licensed under CC BY 4.0.