logo
Maia and Alex Shibutani to make figure skating comeback in the 2026 Winter Olympics

Maia and Alex Shibutani to make figure skating comeback in the 2026 Winter Olympics

INTERNATIONAL: Siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani are making a highly anticipated comeback to figure skating.
The duo, known as the 'Shib Sibs,' recently announced that they will be competing in the next season, as they have their goal set on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. The siblings have been missing in action for more than seven years since they last represented Team USA and won bronze in ice dance at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. The athletes, now 30 and 34 years old, are ready to step back onto the ice and claim victory once again.
In a news release, Alex expressed: ' Our experiences and the new skills we've developed during our time away from competition have brought us different perspectives and created some exciting new possibilities… We don't take any of this for granted. We're really enjoying the process and look forward to performing and competing together again.'
A social media post by the Olympics shared: 'Maia and Alex Shibutani are back! 👀⛸️😍 The two-time Olympic medallists have announced their return to ice dance competition ahead of @milanocortina2026 Winter Olympic Games, after seven years away.'
Netizens commented on the post and said: 'We can't wait to see them return! ❤️', 'I love you guys! Congratulations on your return!', 'I'm so excited to see them on the ice again!', and 'I can't wait 😍😍😍. I missed them so much ❤️' Get to know the Shib Sibs
The Shibutani siblings are one of the most successful ice dance teams in US history. They made their debut at the senior world championships in 2011, and since then, they have earned three world medals, two national titles, and two Olympic medals–one in ice dance and another in a team event at the 2018 Winter Games. In 2023, they were inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame, during their first year of eligibility.
Many believe that their competitive careers had ended after the 2018 Winter Olympics. The siblings did not compete at the 2018 World Championships and planned to take a year off. Unfortunately, during their break, Maia faced a serious health problem and underwent surgery in 2019 to remove a cancerous tumour from one of her kidneys.
As Maia recovered, both of them explored interests outside the ice. They were able to write four children's books and got involved in creative work like choreography and photography. Maia admitted in a statement: 'These past seven years have challenged and inspired us in ways we never expected…I'm so happy and grateful to be healthy and in a position to make the decision to return to the sport I love in this way.'
As part of their preparation, the Shibutanis announced they'd be training with their longtime coaches, Marina Zoueva and Massimo Scali, as they aim for a third Olympic appearance.
Truly, their comeback brings more thrill and excitement to an already competitive US ice dance scene. At the recent World Championships in Boston, Madison Chock and Evan Bates won their third straight title. Moreover, Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko finished fifth, and Caroline Green and Michael Parsons placed ninth. With only three spots available for US teams at the 2026 Olympics in Milan, the qualifications would definitely be thrilling and intense.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Canadian Summer McIntosh claimed the new world record once again in the 400-m freestyle swimming
Canadian Summer McIntosh claimed the new world record once again in the 400-m freestyle swimming

Independent Singapore

time6 hours ago

  • Independent Singapore

Canadian Summer McIntosh claimed the new world record once again in the 400-m freestyle swimming

BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA: Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh recently broke the 400-m freestyle world record with her impressive performance, finishing with a final time of 3:54.18 at the Canadian Swimming Trials. The young swimmer had beaten the previous world record by over a second, which was set by her longtime rival in the sport, Ariarne Titmus. Titmus had defeated McIntosh and won gold at the same event during the 2024 Paris Olympics. With her win, she proudly expressed to the reporters: 'Touching the wall, you can kind of see my outburst of emotions because I was really not expecting that time, but overall I'm super, super happy.' McIntosh added: 'I think just seeing the time after two years of really pushing my hardest every day and training in this event and not seeing the results…So just kind of all that energy and anger and blood, sweat, and tears built up, and then finally having an amazing swim in it is just really, really satisfying.' See also Singapore's Max Maeder nominated for World Sailor of the Year Breaking records at a young age The young Canadian previously held the world record in the event, which she set back in March 2023, with a final time of 3:56.08. The result was nearly two seconds slower than the time she achieved in her latest milestone. Now, she may have started off slow, but indeed finished stronger, speeding up in the second half to beat her previous time. At a young age, McIntosh is clearly used to achieving great results in swimming. She breaks records and wins competitions that make her name well-known in the sport. She made history by becoming the first Canadian to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games, at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In a social media post, McIntosh shared her achievement with her fans with a caption: 'Not a bad way to kick off Trials. 🇨🇦… World Record 400m Freestyle – 3:54.18.' Netizens expressed their support in the comments: 'Ahhhhh you are amazing!! Congrats Summer 🔥😍,' 'Absolutely amazing! What a start! Congratulations on yet another world record, Summer! Wow! 🇨🇦👋,' 'There was some fire behind that swim—worlds are going to be fun. Well done Summer 🔥,' 'Congratulations Summer! Absolutely fabulous 👏👏,' and 'Making Canada proud 👏🙌.' In another social media post, she also shared her achievement of clinching a new Canadian record in the 800-m category. She said in her caption: 'Thanks for cheering me all the way through that 800m Free Victoria! 👏🏻❤️… New Canadian Record 🇨🇦 8:05:06.' More netizens commented and showed their support: 'Congratulations, what an accomplishment! You have been a huge inspiration to our kids who have both started competitive swim this past year! 🍁🔥🎖️' and 'Summer McIntosh has become a true source of national pride—not only for her remarkable achievements in the pool, but for the down-to-earth way she carries her growing fame.'

Strong field as women's event returns to Queen's after 52-year gap
Strong field as women's event returns to Queen's after 52-year gap

Straits Times

time20 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Strong field as women's event returns to Queen's after 52-year gap

LONDON - Top tier women's tennis returns to Queen's Club for the first time in more than half a century on Monday with the start of the WTA 500 event at the prestigious London establishment. While the men's event has become one of the key dates in the grasscourt season and the build-up to Wimbledon, a women's tournament was last held in 1973. In effect, Olga Morozova can claim to have been the reigning champion for 52 years, but not for much longer. A high-quality field have assembled in south west London including Olympic champion Zheng Quinwen, reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, current Australian champion Madison Keys and former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina. There will also be strong home interest with Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal and Katie Boulter all in the draw. "I've actually always said to myself, I wish there was a women's event here," Boulter said in the build-up. "I wish I got the chance to play on this court, because you can feel the history and you can feel how incredible it is." One thing is for sure, it will feel a world away from when Morozova won the title with a wooden racket, spent the week staying in a cheap bed and breakfast in Earl's Court and took a public bus to the courts for her matches. She earned 1,000 pounds for her work that week, although coming from the former Soviet Union meant she could not keep it. The inaugural version of the revamped event will boast total prize money of $1.415 million, the highest for a WTA 500 event of its draw size on the Tour, with the singles champion receiving a cool $164,000. Organisers say, they plan to have equal prize-money with the men's event, which takes place the following week, by 2029. The ATP event has a total prize fund of $2.87 million. The WTA 250 event in Eastbourne will take place from June 23-28, in the week before Wimbledon. "We are making significant increases this year to the women's prize money at Queen's and Eastbourne and want to achieve equal prize money as soon as possible," Lawn Tennis Association chief executive Scott Lloyd said in a statement. "The LTA is committed to growing women's tennis, both at professional and grass-roots level and this move is an important part of that commitment." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Dane Antonsen and South Korea's An win Indonesia Open crown
Dane Antonsen and South Korea's An win Indonesia Open crown

Straits Times

timea day ago

  • Straits Times

Dane Antonsen and South Korea's An win Indonesia Open crown

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Danish third seed Anders Antonsen beat Taiwanese Chou Tien-chen 22-20 21-14 to clinch his first Indonesia Open men's singles title on Sunday, while South Korea's An Se-young fought back from a game down to claim her second women's singles crown. The emotional win marked a long-awaited triumph for Antonsen, who had finished as runner-up in 2019 against Tien-chen and again in 2024 against Shi Yuqi, but finally clinched the Super 1000 title on his third appearance in the final. Tien-chen raced to a 15-10 lead in the opening game, but Antonsen clawed his way back to edge it 22-20. The second game was far more one-sided, with Antonsen dominating. Moments after sealing the victory, Antonsen collapsed flat on his back, arms outstretched, as the weight of past near-misses and years of perseverance came pouring out. The Olympic gold medallist An Se-young beat Chinese world number two Wang Zhiyi 13-21 21-19 21-15. An, ranked number one in the world, had won her first Indonesia Open in 2021, while Wang was chasing a first crown at the event. Wang was off to a bright start, powering her way to a 10-17 lead before comfortably closing out the opening game. An was once again backed into a corner as a dominant Wang raced to a 5-0 lead in the second game. But the 23-year-old turned the game on its head to level at 18-18 and eventually forced a decider. An was made to work hard, but the All England Open champion held her nerve to come out on top, winning six of the last 11 points in the final game. In the women's doubles final, China's world number one pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning overcame fourth-ranked Malaysian duo Thinaah Muralitharan and Pearly Tan 23-25 21-12 21-19. It was heartbreak for the hosts in the men's doubles as Indonesian pair Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Isfahani fought hard but fell short in the second and third games against the fifth-seeded duo Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-Jae of South Korea. The final result was 18-21 21-19 21-12 to the Koreans. French pair Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue took home the mixed doubles title after a 21-16 21-18 victory over Thai duo Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran. "I couldn't believe it," Gicquel said. "We never thought we'd get this far after the first round. It's crazy, it was one of our goals to win a big tournament this year. It's a lot of hard work behind this, so we're grateful." It is France's first Super 1000 title. "We are so happy to make badminton a bit more popular (in France) with this win," Delrue said. "I hope we'll get more media and more players coming to play. I wanted to be the first to win a big tournament so that's done." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store