Andrew Torgashev

[skatingfan4ever]

Ilia is skating the Team Free. I can't deny I am slightly disappointed, but I completely understand the decision. Less nerves for me tomorrow, at least. And Andrew will be spared from all the negative comments if he had made mistakes.

For me, it will feel like a long wait to see if Andrew will do a good short. He got 85 at 2026 Nationals with a fall on the 4T, but I wonder how much Nationals inflation was in play. His highest international score is 87.87 at 2025 Worlds, where he landed everything. I don't know how worried I need to be, but I feel quite worried given the high scores the men got today. The scores generally seem high at this Olympics so far. I'm still shaking my head over Cha getting 83 with a single axel.

 

[teddycat]

It's just as well that Ilia is skating the free. He will want redemption after coming in second today, and the gold medal (and maybe even silver) isn't guaranteed for the US without his contribution. Even a flawless Andrew wouldn't be able to beat Shun or some of the others.

The scores do seem pretty inflated so far. Of course, Andrew won't be able to pop or fall on his quad if he wants to make the free given how the others have skated. He says that he is feeling and training well and has a couple more days to prepare with no worries about the TE.

 

[trishelle]

Andrew is being featured in his training session being shown on Peacock. So a whole half hour of just Andrew!

If you are able to see the Training Feed, his session starts at the 5:00:00 mark.

He's skating really well (it is on the practice ice, not the Olympic ice). He has not fallen in any jumps that I've seen, I think he did a step out on a 3A once. His SP runthrough was with marked jumps.

Both Raf and Brandon are at the boards for him, Raf giving a lot of technical talk going by his hand motions, while Brandon is attentive and supportive.

 

[skatingfan4ever]

It's getting close!!! My nerves are high!!!

Andrew essentially needs to be in the Top 9 when he gets his score in order to qualify for the free, as 9 + 15 = 24.

He is jumping much better overall than in 2023, but my nerves are closer to 2023 level because this SP has never been done cleanly. Or was Nebelhorn clean?

Anyway, how are you all dealing with your nerves?

I watched the practice feed. He looks good. I could watch him skate around doing whatever all day long. His basics are so pleasing to watch.

 

[teddycat]

I don't have Peacock now, but I'm glad that Andrew's practice looked good. I wasn't thrilled about Raf being there since he seems to cause Andrew additional stress, but maybe this time will be different. Raf is probably more focused on Ilia anyway.

I'm less nervous than before Nationals, but it isn't going to be easy to get a high placement with so many top skaters. I think that the short was clean at Nebelhorn, but it hasn't gone that well otherwise.

The judges seem to be fairly lenient and Andrew's skating skills are way up there, so finishing in the middle of the pack or higher would be a big achievement for him. I know that he wants to make his parents and grandparents proud.

 

[el henry]

Dealing with nerves is not my strong suit. Sometimes I pretty much watch through my fingers, which I guess makes me a bad skating fan, but sometimes a gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do. And then wading through the next groups to see about the free skate.

Deep breaths. I hate to say he seems like he is in a better place because I am so superstitious that I don't want to jinx anything. So I won't.

 

[Silevril Ilumire]

Last time I said something confident before a competition, it didn't go well for Andrew. So instead I'll make an offering to the skating gods and use positive visualization! You earned this, Andrew! Now it's your turn to step out there on Olympic ice and make it your own.

 

[el henry]

Oh. My. Skating. Gods.

The comp is still ongoing, but I don't really care where he places. Andrew at his best. That is all I wanted.

 

[teddycat]

What a relief! I figured he was in good shape when he landed his quad.

 

[skatingfan4ever]

SUBLIME!!!!! AND A GREAT SCORE WITH ONE QUAD!!!!! AND HE WAS SO THRILLED ABOUT IT!!!!!

So are we, Andrew, so are we!!!!!

Haven't watched Max yet. The stream won't let me rewind that far. But Max made it as well. I can breathe now.

 

[trishelle]

I clapped and cheered from in front of my office computer lol! What an amazing skate, and I'm so happy to see this program done cleanly and he really performed it!

He did only get level 3 on a few elements though Argh come on Andrew!! Hahaha I'm still happy I promise. I loved that he was smiling after his combo jump, and how freely he skated out there.

Top 10 no matter how the rest of the SP shakes out!

 

[el henry]

And while we are on "other qualifiers", Donovan in the free (sorry for the diversion).

My breathing is restored.

 

[trishelle]

USA/NBC short is on YouTube now.

Andrew Torgashev goes ROCKSTAR in Olympic short program debut | Winter Olympics 2026 | NBC Sports

Andrew Torgashev made his Olympic debut in dramatic fashion, bringing rockstar moves to the ice and skating a well-timed personal best in the short program t...

youtu.be

 

[Arigato]

The joy on his face when he was done. So great to see. Great job, Andrew!

 

[el henry]

Brief interview after the short with a Florida station.

Once a Panthers fan, always a Panthers fan. (Those of us who saw his IG stories over the years can attest to the fandom )

NBC 6 South Florida on Instagram: "@andrewtorg caught up with NBC6’s Sophia Hernandez post #MensShortProgram to chat about his Olympic Debut, making Florida proud, and being the number one fan of @matthew_tkachuk. #florida #skating #milancortina #ol

1,300 likes, 42 comments - nbc6 on February 10, 2026: "@andrewtorg caught up with NBC6’s Sophia Hernandez post #MensShortProgram to chat about his Olympic Debut, making Florida proud, and being the number one fan of @matthew_tkachuk. #florida #skating #milancortina #olympics".

www.instagram.com

 

[trishelle]

If anyone was interested before (and has Peacock), Andrew was again featured during his practice session, starting at about 4:14:00 but the first half of the session was cut, they were showing the ice dance warm up in the arena. So not sure what he did in the first 15-20mins of the session.

He tried a 4T+3A sequence, which... whoa. He fell on the 3A though. Not sure if this is something he will try in the FP, but sure, what is there to lose?

 

[skatingfan4ever]

This is poetic. But we don't know how the poem ends yet.

Andrew was also 8th in the SP at 2025 Worlds. This means he'll skate in the exact same position (5th in Group 3) as 2025 Worlds. He's already had this experience once and it didn't go well. But he knows what went wrong there, so if he is able to have a successful Olympic free skate, what a way to dispel that demon. A repeat of Nationals would be nice, but almost anything is better than 2025 Worlds. I hope he'll be happier with his free skate this time.

I am impressed with how upbeat and confident he sounds in interviews here. He's trained hard, and he's trusting in his training.

 

[teddycat]

I can't complain about Andrew's placement and PB in the short, but it seems that his levels and PCS were a little low? It's huge that he was able to overcome his nerves and look so confident. Jackie Wong said he has never looked so prepared for a competition.

It's odd that he is 8th once again, hope he's in a better place now. I don't know about the 4T+3A, maybe it's to impress in practice and he won't attempt it tomorrow. We want him to repeat Nationals if possible and having a messy fall or two would break the spell.

 

[TA91]

For his first Olympics and with a lot of pressure, I think Andrew did great. There are so many ifs but one I find crazy is that if he had landed the second 4T with the combo, he would've been in the medal convo for sure. He was fifth on PCS in the free.

 

[skatingfan4ever]

We live in a figure skating world now where someone steps out of one 4T with a +REP but does everything else cleanly across both programs and yet finishes 12th overall, behind multiple skaters with harder jumps who made multiple big mistakes. OH. MY. GOODNESS.

When Andrew was in 5th with 7 people to skate, I assumed he would end up 12th, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect the final 7 to unfold the way it did. I would have had him finishing in front of Kevin after the free, because Kevin's jumps were so labored in comparison to Andrew's.

I would never have predicted Andrew to be the cleanest US man across both programs, but it happened that way. He was 8th in the short and 9th in the free. Ilia and Max had "Andrew at 2025 Worlds/2025 NHK" free skates, while Andrew calmly and casually did his job. I think that Andrew's devastating experience at 2025 Worlds probably helped prepare him to put the one mistake behind him in his Olympic free skate. I am a bit annoyed that someone who skated as cleanly as Andrew did at this Olympics but with "only" one type of quad finished as low as he did despite big FS errors from more than one high-tech quadster. High planned BV for the win, I guess. Sigh.

All this said, I am SO PROUD OF ANDREW for how well he skated in both programs here. I can't tell if he was pleased after his free skate or not. Or maybe his reaction was just him being tired? He looked drained rather than energized after his FS to me. I am interested in what he has to say about it all.

He did his job today and he was a bright spot for me in a sad men's free skate.

I'm sure I'll have more thoughts in coming days.