The Skating Session
Hosted by lifelong figure skating fans Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu, The Skating Session dives deep into the world of competitive figure skating with sharp analysis, historical context, and a millennial lens. From dissecting Grand Prix assignments to unpacking Olympic rule changes and iconic comebacks, Tony and Thomas bring decades of fandom and a critical eye to the ice. Whether you're a seasoned fan or a returning viewer from the golden age of the 90s, this show offers smart, opinionated, and informed commentary on the sport’s past, present, and future.
Episodes
Kinoshita Cup, Return of Trusova, AIN Eligibity Status, DWTS
Episode 3 of the season starts with a discussion on the ISU rescinding the neutral status of several AIN athletes. We then go into a full discussion of the Kinoshita Cup, including the return of Alexandra Trusova-Ignatova, Mao Shimada's senior international debut, and rundowns of all other disciplines. We also briefly chat about Amber Glenn and Dancing With the Stars, as well as the Bolero Cup and
New Rules! Russia Is Back! JGP Thoughts, Kinoshita, Synchro9
Episode 2 is here! Tony and Thomas discuss at length (and rant about) many of the new rule changes and program layout changes this season. We also discuss AIN/Russia being back in competition and their dominance in the first Junior Grand Prix event, as well as some of Tony's picks for favorite performances from the most recent JGP Riga. We briefly go over the stacked fields for this weekend's Kino
We're Back! 2027 Season Outlook; Off-Season News
We're back! Our Season 3 premiere highlights all of the big off-season news, the early season news, what we've been up to, and what to look forward to in the 2027 season.
Special Episode: Interview with Kyvalya Kopparapu (IND)
Tony interviews Kyvalva Kopparapu, who competed at his first ever Junior Grand Prix competition in Xi'An, and has only been figure skating for 3 months!
The Skating Session Live - 2026 World Championships Event Recap
Tony and Thomas stream live about their experience at the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague. They discuss the event, the fans, the skating, and even the controversial deduction for an illegal element that decided the bronze medal in Ice Dance.Watch us on Youtube!
LIVESTREAM - 2026 OLYMPICS Pairs & Women's Free Skate Review & Insight
We streamed live and had some technical hiccups in the beginning. We also couldn't figure out how to end the live recording. We go over the Pairs Free Skate, and talk about our initial reactions to the fantastic Women's Competition. We talk about our Olympic experience in Milan, and answer some live chat questions!Watch us on Youtube!
2026 OLYMPIC GAMES Men’s Free & Pairs Short Review & Insights
What was that men’s free skate? Tony and Thomas were in the arena and still haven’t recovered from it. We highlight that event (several days after the fact) and the pairs short program that started so wonderfully for the teams.
2026 OLYMPICS FREE DANCE Deep Dive & Aftermath
Watch us on YouTube to watch the elements and see our breakdown!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwJgyvASRfwTony and Thomas watched the free dance and have A LOT of opinions. We recorded the programs so we could deep dive them and get down to who the winners should be. Who came out on top? Was it right? What does it say about the scoring system? See it all here, and as always share your thoughts wh
2026 OLYMPICS MENS SHORT PROGRAM Review & Insight (Live from Milan!)
Tony and Thomas were gifted tickets to the men’s short program and recap the exciting night at the 2026 Olympic Games!
2026 OLYMPIC GAMES RHYTHM DANCE Insight & Thoughts (Live from Milan!)
Tony and Thomas bought last-minute tickets to the rhythm dance here in Milan. Flooded with questions last night about the results, we finally got some sleep and are ready to take on the commentary. Enjoy!
2026 OLYMPIC GAMES - Team Event Day 2 Review & Strategy
Tony and Thomas highlight day 2 of the team event and then have to go straight off into packing for Milan. Today featured the men's short program, confirmed the top 5 teams to the free skates, and began with the free dance. Shame on us for counting Canada out of making the final! Does anything change by Ilia Malinin announcing he will skate the free skate tomorrow? It's all here.
2026 OLYMPIC GAMES - Team Event Day 1 Review & Strategy
Tony and Thomas highlight day 1 of the team event and the start of the 2026 Olympic Games! The rhythm dance, pairs short, and women's short are all completed and give us a bette glimpse into the 5 teams that will qualify to the free skates. Have our favorites for gold and bronze changes? Do countries need to rethink their teams? It's all here!Link to Download Scoring Spreadsheet: https://drive.goo
2026 Olympic Team Event Score Simulator & Overview
Download the spreadsheet we used to try this on your own!2026 Olympic Team Event Simulator by the Skating SessionTony and Thomas give you two videos in less than 24 hours! Today we go in depth with our own simulations of the 2026 Olympic figure skating team event, including our rationales, our most important segments to look out for, which skaters may be asked to do double-duty across both segment
Glitter & Gold Netflix Ice Dancing Documentary Review
Tony and Thomas review the three-part Glitter & Gold documentary that was released on Netflix earlier today. The series features a look at Chock & Bates, Gilles & Poirier, and Fournier Beaudry & Cizeron and their push from the end of the 2025 season into the Grand Prix series of this Olympic year. We share our favorite moments, the confusion over the direction that the documentary
2026 Four Continents Championships Competition Review & Insight
Tony and Thomas review the 2026 Four Continents Championships. Some skaters are wild by skating here and then heading to the Olympic in less than two weeks! The most perfect result ever in the women's event? Maybe. The best use of PCS ever in an event? Definitely not. We review all of the disciplines giving a rundown of the top skaters. Tony is also trying to build up The Skating Session Instagram
2026 European Championships Competition Review & Insight
Tony and Thomas review the 2026 European Championships. Nerves or saving energy for the Olympics? Either way, the competition was a bit of a letdown in most of the disciplines. We review dance, pairs, men, and women and share some of our standout skates.. and of course, our thoughts on how the dance competition in particular played out. Did the judges get it right? Speaking of which, we give high
2026 US National Championships Competition Review & Insight
Tony and Thomas are back from St. Louis and ready to talk all things National Championships. Running on zero sleep, we highlight all four disciplines, the no-surprise Olympic announcements, some of the insights we heard from skaters, officials, and fans throughout the week, and some of our favorite moments and run-ins with former champions and skating personalities.Watch us on YouTube!
![Grand Prix Final Event Review [Part 2] - Ice Dance Deeper Dive & Women](https://media.rss.com/the-skating-session/ep_cover_20251209_101225_2db2bb7509beac099f6b746661ed19fa.png)
Grand Prix Final Event Review [Part 2] - Ice Dance Deeper Dive & Women
Watch on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/145468805(No YouTube this week, they don't want us showing elements!)Tony and Thomas complete recapping the Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan. As seems to be requested most heavily, we do a deeper dive into the dance event and compare the elements of the top teams against the all-but-forgotten about GOE scoring rubric. We share our opinions of the re
![Grand Prix Final Event Review [Part 1]](https://media.rss.com/the-skating-session/ep_cover_20251208_031212_667be73d8f7ad5c0e9d9bb25f7f23863.png)
Grand Prix Final Event Review [Part 1]
Tony and Thomas are back with their first of two videos recapping the Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan. 30 years of this event, and it's the last time contenders from both Europeans and Four Continents nations will face off against each other before the Olympic Games. This first video focuses on the pairs and mens competitions, with a brief look at ice dance. Tomorrow, we will deep-dive the dance
Question & Answer Week; Reaction to Ice Dance Judging Video
Tony and Thomas are back on this “off week” in preparation for the Grand Prix Final. We have some updates on the response from our Finlandia judging video, including reactions around the Internet and through the ISU as well as a current competitor writing to us about all of it. We also opened up the forum this week to ask questions that you would like us to answer and discuss. Enjoy! Link to YouTu
Grand Prix #6 - Finlandia Trophy Competition Review
Tony and Thomas are back after the SOS ice dance judging rant yesterday with a full review of the sixth and final Grand Prix regular season stop, Finlandia Trophy. Were there more ice dance shenanigans in the free dance? What was the fallout of the scoring yesterday? As always, a review of all four disciplines plus mention of who we will see in two weeks at the Grand Prix Final. Hopefully by then,
SOS Ice Dance Judging - Special Episode on Finlandia Trophy Rhythm Dance & Reaction
You know something is up when we break our normal upload schedule to bring you a special episode on the ice dance technical panel calling that ramped up last week at Skate America and has continued this week at Finlandia Trophy. Shawn Rettstatt, head of the ice dance technical committee, is the technical controller in both events. Although not the be-all end-all of the scores, we discuss some of t
Grand Prix #5 - Skate America Competition Review
Tony reports in from Lake Placid while Thomas breaks things down from home as they dissect Skate America from every angle, from NBC’s Chock/Bates-centric coverage and slow-twizzle discourse to the tech panel’s quad Lutz calls on Kevin Aymoz and Shoma Uno, Jason Brown’s Riverdance short, and the judging trends shaping the men’s field. They dig into standout dance performances from the Browns and La
Grand Prix #4 - NHK Trophy Competition Review
Tony and Thomas are moving right along with the Grand Prix series, this week with stop number four in Osaka, Japan for the NHK Trophy. A lengthy discussion about the dance event and the return of the Shibutanis keeps us over two hours! As always, we also highlight the pairs, mens, and women's competitions and share some of our favorite moments of the week. Enjoy, and please remember to subscribe a
Grand Prix #3 - Skate Canada Competition Review
Tony and Thomas are back with Skate Canada highlights and opinions. After last week's overall negative vibe to our review, we tried to keep all of the specific poor technical panel calls out of the conversation except for mentioning how even the ISU appointed commentator was getting fed up with it during the short programs! Included, as always, are reviews for all events: the pairs, women, men, an
Grand Prix #2 - Cup of China Competition Review
Tony and Thomas stayed up all night both nights watching the Cup of China the second Grand Prix event of the season. For an underwhelming competition, we still managed over 2 hours of insights and opinions! Included are all four disciplines, the questionable call that kept Sui & Han on the podium in the pairs event, the technical panels and judges in the singles' events being in a different re
Grand Prix #1 - Grand Prix de France Competition Review
Tony and Thomas are fresh off watching all of the first Grand Prix of the season in France. Fresh faces, judging controversies, and new programs are all here and it must mean skating season is in full-force! We dive into ice dance first, highlighting Fournier-Beaudry & Cizeron's win and the decline of Guignard & Fabbri with our own views and thoughts moving forward in the Olympic season. W
Olympic Qualifier Skate to Milano Day 3 Men's Final & Event Wrap-Up
Tony and Thomas close out Skate to Milano with a full men’s free skate breakdown and an event‑wide wrap up. It is a rollercoaster of clean skates, near misses, and razor‑thin margins, all in a field so deep that great performances still fell short of Olympic tickets.Zooming out, Tony and Thomas sketch the early Olympic medal picture for the men, what this qualifier signals about PCS trends, and ho
Olympic Qualifier Skate to Milano Day 3 Ice Dance Deep-Dive & Review
Tony and Thomas unpack the free dance finale of the Skate to Milano Olympic Qualifier in Beijing. They walk through the judging reviews, the long waits for numbers, and the score inputs that shifted on screen while the panel finalized calls, then explain how four Olympic ice dance spots were allocated in a field separated by tenths.The leaders get a clear read: Lithuania’s Reed and Ambrulevicius w
Olympic Qualifier Skate to Milano Day 2 Highlights
Tony and Thomas break down Day 2 of the Skate to Milano Olympic Qualifier in Beijing. First look at the men’s short program: what Petr Gumennik showed in form and scoring as a neutral athlete, where Donovan Carrillo sits after a crowd‑pleasing skate, and why a six‑point logjam from fourth through eleventh sets up chaos for the free skate. Surprises from Monaco, Ukraine, Germany, and Chinese Taipei
Olympic Qualifier Skate to Milano Day 1 Highlights
Tony and Thomas recap Day 1 of the Skate to Milano Olympic Qualification Event from Beijing: the rhythm dance, pairs short, and women’s short, then tee up the men. They explain how a standalone qualifier reshapes strategy, who gained real Olympic leverage, and where citizenship clocks may keep doors open a little longer.Ice dance gets a full read: four spots in play, why the PCS/ordinal spread loo
2026 Season Program Announcements & Discussion
Tony and Thomas are back with another episode of The Skating Session! We highlight many of the new program announcements, especially from team Japan after debuting short programs at Dreams on Ice. Bradie Tennell, Amber Glenn, Kevin Aymoz, Daniel Grassl, Jimmy Ma, Conti & Macii and Chock & Bates are among the many skaters discussed. We also have highly differing opinions (a rarity!) on some
Off-Season News (ISU Logo, USFS Rules, TES Minimums, Skater Updates)
Season 2 Premiere! New ISU Logo, Vision 2030, Tech Panel Drama & Offseason ChaosIn honor of following the ISU calendar of events and July 1 being the start of the new season, Tony and Thomas bring to you The Skating Session Season 2 premiere! We discuss the last month of updates in the figure skating world - from the unveiling of the new ISU logo to the 'Extraordinary' Congress, the USFS 'Shib
S1E12 - 2025 Grand Prix Assignments! Pairs & Dance Discussion
In Episode 12 of The Skating Session, Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu continue their analysis of the 2025–2026 Grand Prix assignments, this time focusing on pairs and ice dance. They examine the impact of high-profile comebacks from Olympic champions Sui & Han, as well as the Shibutanis and Fournier-Beaudry & Cizeron, and what those returns mean for the current competitive hierarchy.They walk t
S1E11 - 2025-26 Grand Prix Assignments! Men & Women Discussion
In Episode 11 of The Skating Session, Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu dive deep into the 2025–2026 Grand Prix assignments for men and women. They walk through the ISU grids event by event, analyzing key matchups, surprise omissions, and the stakes for Olympic qualification. From comeback skaters like Sui and Han to high-stakes U.S. men's rivalries and the crowded Japanese women's field, they break down
S1E10 - 2026 World Championships TicketPortal Experience (UHG!)
In Episode 10 of The Skating Session, Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu share their chaotic experience securing tickets to the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague. From middle-of-the-night login attempts and error messages to frantic screen refreshes and surprise Apple Pay saves, they walk through the highs and lows of navigating Ticketportal.This special episode is a candid look at what it
S1E9 - Rhythm Dance '26 Rules & Music Ideas, Sui & Han Return!
In Episode 9 of The Skating Session, Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu explore the new rhythm dance requirements for the 2026 Olympic season, centered on a '90s dance party' theme. They break down the removal of compulsory patterns for seniors, the shift toward vibes-based judging, and the implications for technical merit in ice dance. They discuss the allowance of AI-generated music and debate whether i
S1E8 - Russian Olympic Neutral Athlete Selection, Olympic Qualifying Competition
In Episode 8 of The Skating Session, Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu unpack the announcement of eligible neutral athletes for the 2026 Winter Olympics, with a focus on Russian and Belarusian figure skaters who cleared the IOC screening process. They explore what the absence of Russian pairs and ice dance teams means for Olympic qualification, assess the chances of approved skaters like Adeliia Petrosia
S1E7 - Ice Dance Comebacks! Shibutanis Return, Fournier-Beaudry & Cizeron Team Up!
In Episode 7 of The Skating Session, Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu dive into the shock return of Olympic bronze medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani, who have announced a comeback after seven years away from competition. They break down the potential impact on the domestic and international ice dance field, evaluate the strengths and challenges of returning elite athletes, and discuss what this means fo
S1E6 - 2025 World Team Trophy Day 3 Recap (Pairs Free, Women Free, Event Closing Thoughts)
In Episode 6 of The Skating Session, Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu wrap up their coverage of the 2025 World Team Trophy and reflect on the conclusion of the figure skating season. They offer insight on the final day’s events, including the women's free skate and the pairs free skate, and evaluate standout moments, scoring controversies, and the impact of skater fatigue.They discuss team strategies, O
S1E5 - 2025 World Team Trophy Day 2 Recap (Pairs Short, Free Dance, Men Free)
In Episode 5 of The Skating Session, Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu recap Day Two of the 2025 World Team Trophy, featuring the pairs short program, free dance, and men’s free skate. They reflect on standout performances, surprising scores, and the overall energy of the event as the season winds down.The episode covers athlete fatigue, evolving team dynamics, and the ebb and flow of program quality acr
S1E4 - 2025 World Team Trophy Day 1 Recap (Rhythm Dance, Men Short, Women Short)
In Episode 4 of The Skating Session, Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu dive into Day One of the 2025 World Team Trophy in Japan. They explore highlights, unexpected performances, and intriguing storylines emerging as top skaters like Jason Brown, Ilia Malinin, Kaori Sakamoto, and new world champion Alysa Liu take to the ice. They discuss the atmosphere of the competition, evaluate standout moments and te
S1E3 - 2025 World Championships Recap - Mens Event; Rule Change Discussions
In the final episode of The Skating Session's 2025 Worlds trilogy, Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu break down the men's competition and then launch into a comprehensive discussion on what figure skating needs to fix—structurally, competitively, and aesthetically. From Ilia Malinin’s dominance and artistry gap to the rise of Mikhail Shaidorov, Yuma Kagiyama’s generational brilliance, and the redemption
S1E2 - 2025 World Championships Recap - Pairs & Ice Dance Events
In Episode 2 of The Skating Session, Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu take a comprehensive look at the pairs and ice dance events at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships. They unpack the medal races, choreographic trends, and evolving judging standards, offering sharp, rule-informed commentary on everything from Miura/Kihara’s controversial win and Hase/Volodin’s rising dominance to the emotional
S1E1 - 2025 World Championships Recap - Women's Event, Boston & Organization
In the debut episode of The Skating Session, hosts Tony Wheeler and Thomas Vu—Millennial superfans of the sport since the '90s—break down their experience attending the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston. They discuss the event’s logistics, fan engagement, organizational highs and lows, and innovative changes to presentation and format. Then, they dive into the women’s competition:
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