Hamill celebrates US skating trio’s grace and unity
Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill shares heartfelt admiration for Alysa, Amber, and Isabeau’s unique styles and team spirit in figure skating.
Sports Seriously
USA TODAY Sports released its latest “Milan Magic” episode covering the 2026 Winter Olympics. In preparation for the Milano Cortina Winter Games, “Milan Magic” hosts Christine Brennan and Brian Boitano — an Olympic gold medal champion figure skater — are covering all topics regarding the games extensively and sitting down with Winter Olympics legends in order to get a behind-the-scenes look at these remarkable winter events.
After an enthralling conversation with “Quad God” Ilia Malinin, the duo have returned, now speaking with 1976 Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill, an icon of the figure skating world.
Hamill did far more than win in the Olympics though. She also won the 1976 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, after winning silver each of the two years prior. She is a four-time United States champion as well (1969, 1974-76).
Despite being diagnosed with osteoarthritis at 40 years old and suffering from chronic back pain. Hamill continued to participate in skating events and shows until 2013.
Hamill spoke on numerous topics including the pressure facing most Olympic figure skaters as they take the ice. She even recalled a time when competing in Munich where the home crowd didn’t appreciate the marks given to the German skater before Hamill, prompting a cascade of boos as Hamill took the ice. Hamill said, “I just wanted to get it over with.” Boitano expanded, recalling that Hamill’s father needed to come over to her to calm her down before she skated, and that Hamill’s toughness to be able to perform one of the greatest routines of her life to that point as boos rained down was one of the best moments of Hamill’s career.
Dorothy Hamill on boos at 1974 Worlds
Olympic gold medalist Dororthy Hamill explains how she believed she was being booed at the 1974 U.S. Figure Skating World Championship in Munich, Germany.
Sports Seriously
Hamill also took time to discuss the difference in figure skating between now and when she competed.
“It’s a whole new sport,” Hamill said. She specifically praised Alysa Liu, the gold medal winner at the 2025 World Championships. Liu contemplated retiring at just 16 years old, even taking a two-year hiatus from the sport in order to experience life outside of her sport.
“I just have so much admiration for her,” stated Hamill. “In figure skating, if you take two weeks off…I could never do anything, so it’s really special.”
Liu will be participating in the 2026 Olympics after a strong performance at the U.S. championships.
Another aspect of the sport that has changed so drastically since Hamill’s time as a competitor is the involvement of social media.
“I never had to deal with that,” Hamill said. “For me, if there was even one bad review in the newspaper, that was the only thing I could remember. And that would stick with me forever.”
Hamill’s advice to young skaters is to stay away from social media as much as possible. Even in the accolades, there can be negative connotations that will stick with athletes. She notes that people often tend to look for criticisms while drowning out praise and that can have seriously negative effects on competitors ahead of big competitions.
Those words of wisdom from Hamill and much more are available to “Milan Magic” listeners. You can listen to USA TODAY’s podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch full episodes on YouTube or on USA TODAY.
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