Chasing the Olympic Dream: The ISU “Skate to Milano” Campaign kicks off!

Press Release

Chasing the Olympic Dream: The ISU “Skate to Milano” Campaign kicks off!

20 Sep 2025

In just 140 days, the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will begin. For some, it will be their first taste of Olympic ice. For others, the ultimate career milestone. For all, it represents the dream they have chased their entire lives. The weeks and months ahead will define futures. Figure Skaters, Speed Skaters, and Short Track athletes – who have trained countless hours on and off the ice, physically and mentally – are now preparing for a season that could change their lives forever.

Today, the International Skating Union (ISU) launched the “Skate to Milano” campaign, inviting fans, partners, media, and the global sports community to join skaters on their Olympic journey from the very first step to the finish line in Milano Cortina 2026.

The start line of dreams

The “Skate to Milano” campaign takes flight as the ISU 2025/26 season opens with the first senior international Figure Skating event in Beijing. The ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier is more than just the start of the season, it is the starting line of a decisive journey, where Olympic quota places for Milano Cortina 2026 are up for grabs.

The ISU "Skate to Milano" campaign following the Skaters' journey up to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.  © ISU

Once the curtain falls in Beijing, the Olympic qualification spotlight shifts to Short Track, as the ISU Short Track World Tour launches in October, starting in Montreal (CAN) before moving to Gdansk (POL), and concluding in Dordrecht (NED) in November.

Meanwhile, Speed Skating enters its qualifying stage with the ISU Speed Skating World Cup in Salt Lake City (USA), before heading to Calgary (CAN) in November, and then on to Heerenveen (NED) and Hamar (NOR) in December. 

Legends in the Making

Delivered across the ISU’s full digital ecosystem, “Skate to Milano” turns up the pace with behind-the-scenes storytelling and interactive features that deliver an immersive experience. It’s more than competition - it’s the making of legends. 

Fans will witness the full journey: the challenges, the highs and lows, as well as the joy and raw emotions that come with training and competing. Every spin, jump, and race on the path to the Olympic dream matters - and now, every fan is invited to be part of that journey.

ISU President Jae Youl Kim said: “The Olympic dream is more than just the competition, it’s years, often decades, of dedication, sacrifice, and triumph. With the “Skate to Milano” campaign, we are opening that journey to fans everywhere and amplifying the stories beyond the results. It’s about living the Olympic dream with the skaters, step by step, moment by moment.

Launch of the ISU "Skate to Milano" campaign during the ISU Figure Skating Qualifier Press Briefing in Beijing, China. © ISU

“Skate to Milano is perfectly aligned with ISU Vision 2030, guiding the organization’s modernization and transformational journey. This includes reshaping engagement through creative, innovative approaches that foster direct and deeper connections with fans, partners, media, and the wider sports community.”

This unified ISU campaign brings you the milestones, the heartbreaks, and the victories. Go backstage. Experience the intense training, the dazzling performances, and the rise of new legends as they carve their path to Olympic history.

This journey isn’t just theirs. It’s yours.
Follow #SkateToMilano and live every moment.

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