Japan Milano Cortina 2026: Medals, Schedule, and Team Roster

There’s something special about watching a young skater step onto Olympic ice for the first time, knowing the weight of a nation’s hopes is on their shoulders. For Japan at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, that story is embodied by 17-year-old Nakai Ami, who skated to a bronze medal, alongside seasoned champion Sakamoto Kaori, setting a narrative of legacy and breakout.

Olympics edition: 25th Winter Olympics ·
Host cities: Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy ·
Japan’s participation dates: February 6–22, 2026 ·
Japan’s medal count: At least 1 silver, 1 bronze (as of Feb 19, 2026)

Below is a quick-reference table of key details for Japan at the Games.

Which venue will host Japan’s events at Milano Cortina 2026?

Japan’s figure skaters competed at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, a dedicated rink built for the Games. According to the International Skating Union (ISU), all five figure skating events took place there from February 6 to 22.

Main competition venues for figure skating, speed skating, and curling

• Figure skating: Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan (ISU)
• Speed skating: likely at the long-track oval (exact venue not fully confirmed)
• Curling: dedicated curling arena in Cortina d’Ampezzo

The pattern: Milan hosts indoor ice sports; Cortina handles outdoor snow disciplines. For Japan, most medal hopes outside figure skating come from speed skating and snowboard events scattered across both clusters.

Location of the Japanese Olympic Committee headquarters

The Japanese Olympic Committee maintained a coordination office in Milan, near the main press centre. This was confirmed during the JOC press conference on February 20 (Olympics YouTube channel (official IOC media)).

What is Japan’s competition schedule for Milano Cortina 2026?

The Games opened on February 6 and run through February 22. The figure skating competition started the same day with team rhythm dance and women’s short program components (Team Canada (official Olympic team site)).

Key dates for figure skating finals

• February 17 – Women’s singles short program (Nakai Ami delivered a strong performance)
• February 19 – Women’s singles free skate (Sakamoto silver, Nakai bronze) (NBC Olympics)
• February 20 – JOC press conference (Olympics YouTube)

Dates for snowboard and ski events involving Team Japan

While full event-by-event schedules were still being confirmed after the Games, snowboard big air and slopestyle events typically occur in the second week. Japan has strong contenders in these disciplines, though medal results were pending at the time of writing.

The implication: If you’re following Team Japan, the week of February 17–22 is the most crowded for medal opportunities across multiple sports.

Who is on Japan’s Olympic figure skating team for 2026?

Japan sent a deep roster. In the team event alone, the lineup included Yuma Kagiyama, Shun Sato, Kaori Sakamoto, Riku Miura, Ryuichi Kihara, Utana Yoshida, and Masaya Morita (NBC Olympics).

Sakamoto Kaori (women’s singles silver medalist)

Kaori Sakamoto, the three-time world champion, upgraded her Beijing 2022 bronze to silver in Milan. She had stated she wanted “at least silver” at these Games (nippon.com).

Nakai Ami (women’s singles bronze medalist)

At 17, Ami Nakai became one of the breakout stars of the Games, earning bronze in her Olympic debut (NBC Olympics).

Other potential team members

Beyond the named team-event roster, Japan also enters skaters in men’s singles and other disciplines. According to Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia), the full entry list by nation was available on the ISU site. The roster likely includes additional alternates and pairs teams.

The impact: Japan’s depth in figure skating is evident, with multiple medalists across disciplines.

These confirmed and uncertain points give a balanced view of Japan’s performance so far.

“I wanted to at least win silver at Milano Cortina 2026.”

– Kaori Sakamoto, quoted via nippon.com

“The Japanese team has exceeded expectations in figure skating, with our youngest athletes stepping up.”

– Japanese Olympic Committee spokesperson, Olympics YouTube press conference

Japan’s Milano Cortina 2026 story so far is one of generational transition: the established champion Sakamoto delivered silver, while 17-year-old Nakai seized bronze. For the Japanese Olympic Committee and figure skating fans, the clear takeaway is that the pipeline from junior to senior ranks remains strong. But with only two medals confirmed through February 19, the real yardstick may be how Japan’s next wave – especially Nakai and the pairs team of Miura/Kihara – builds on these results for the 2030 cycle. For Japan, the choice is clear: keep investing in a scouting system that produced a teen bronze medalist, or risk letting the gap widen against deeper nations like the United States and Italy.