Milan 2026: The magic of Yuma Kagiyama in the Ice Skating Arena
It is Saturday, February 7, 2026, and the atmosphere in the Milano Ice Skating Arena is nothing short of electric. While outside the Italian cold graces the streets of Assago, inside it just became red hot during the short program for the mixed teams. The Japanese sensation Yuma Kagiyama has not only stolen the hearts of the audience but also completely won over the jury with a score that commands respect: 108.67 points.
From my 30 years of experience in the dance world, I often look at figure skating with a different eye than the average sports reporter. Where they focus on the rotations, I look at the 'flow', the connection between the steps, and the way a movement flows through the body. What Kagiyama showed today was not a sports performance; it was pure choreography at the highest level. He beat the American favorite Ilia Malinin with this, who remained stuck at 98.00 points. This result puts Japan directly on the map for the team gold, with only a one-point difference behind the United States.
Technique meets emotion: The influence of Carolina Kostner
It is no secret that Yuma has worked hard on his artistic presentation over the past few years. The collaboration with the legendary Italian skater Carolina Kostner is now clearly bearing fruit. At Miss Salsa, we always say that technique is the foundation, but that the soul of the dance only becomes visible when you can let go of that technique. That is exactly what happened on the ice in Milan.
Kagiyama opened his program with a flawless combination of a quadruple toe-loop and a triple toe-loop, followed by a beautiful quadruple Salchow. But it wasn't the jumps that made the most impression. It was his knee work. The way he lands and immediately generates speed again without any visible effort reminds me of the best salsa dancers who seemingly glide effortlessly across the floor. Kostner taught him how to project his emotions through his upper body and arms to the back row of the stadium, something we call 'presence' in the dance world.
Who is Yuma Kagiyama actually?
For those who haven't followed the career of this young Japanese man closely: Yuma was born on May 5, 2003, in Yokohama. Skating is literally in his blood, because his father, Masakazu Kagiyama, participated in the Olympic Games twice himself. After his silver medal in Beijing 2022 and three silver medals at world championships, he now seems to finally be making the step to the highest step of the podium.
His path was not without obstacles. An injury to his left foot kept him on the sidelines for a large part of the 2022-2023 season. But as every experienced dancer knows, you often come back stronger from an injury because you are forced to re-evaluate your basics. He currently trains in Nagoya and combines the technical precision of his father with the artistic flair of Kostner and choreographer Lori Nichol.
What we as dancers can learn from the ice
Sometimes people ask me why I, as a salsa expert, am so passionate about figure skating. The answer is simple: the principles of movement are universal. In practice, you see that Kagiyama uses his sense of rhythm to time his jumps exactly on the accents of the music. This is a lesson for every dancer, whether you are on a stage or in a club.
- Musicality: Use the silences in the music for your expression, not just the hard beats.
- Core stability: Without a rock-solid core, those fast rotations are impossible. That applies to a quadruple jump and to a multiple spin on the dance floor.
- Focus: Despite the enormous pressure of the Olympic Games, Yuma remained completely in his own 'bubble'.
The event in the Milano Ice Skating Arena is also impressive in terms of organization. With a capacity of nearly 10,000 spectators and ticket prices starting at € 450.00 for these high-demand sessions, it is clear that figure skating in Italy is bigger than ever. The arena, also known as the Unipol Forum, has been completely modernized for the occasion and provides a perfect backdrop for this kind of top-tier sport.
The road to the individual title
This performance in the team event is just a taste of what awaits us during the individual men's competition later this week. Kagiyama has already announced that he will use a specially edited version of 'Turandot' for his free skate, composed by Christopher Tin. This is a beautiful tribute to the city of Milan, where this opera premiered 100 years ago.
We at Miss Salsa look at this development with great admiration. It shows that sport and culture go hand in hand. If Yuma maintains this form, he is the man to beat. The battle with Ilia Malinin, the self-proclaimed 'Quad God', is now officially open and promises to be one of the highlights of these Winter Games.