By Agnieszka Flak MILAN, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The Olympic figure skating programme starts on Friday with the team event, which should provide an early test of depth, tactics and nerve that will play out among the leading skating nations over the next two weeks.

MILAN (AP) — Former world pairs champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada have withdrawn from the figure skating team event at the Milan Cortina Olympics after she sustained an injury in training before leaving Quebec.

America's top figure skaters compete for at the U.S. figure skating championships in the last event before the 2026 Winter Olympic team is revealed.

Team USA comes into the 2026 Winter Olympics with a chance to medal in most of the figure skating events. The Americans have the clear-cut favorite in the men's event in Ilia Malinin. The pair of Madison Chock and Evan Bates are expected to claim gold in the ice dance.

Valieva tested positive for Trimetazidine after helping the Russian figure skating team secure a gold medal in 2022