The politics of being Team USA for Winter Olympians
As 232 athletes represent the U.S. at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, many are experiencing “mixed emotions.”
Andrew Torgashev is becoming a household name as one of three Americans competing in the figure skating competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics. But he ate his way into one of the more distinct nicknames at the Milan Cortina Games.
As Torgashev completed his short program during the men’s individual skate on Tuesday, Feb. 10, the NBC broadcast made sure to highlight that the 24-year-old also goes by ‘The Pizza King.’ It’s even in his official Team USA bio and stems from an unorthodox “pizza diet” a few years ago in which Torgashev ate pizza for 53 days in a row.
“My relationship with pizza started (in) 2022,” Torgashez said last month at U.S. Nationals. “I ended up losing weight and getting my quad toeloop back during this time. So it was successful. Since then, I’ve ramped down the amount of pizzas I eat.”
Whatever he’s doing seemed to be working in his first individual skate at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Torgashev notched a score of 88.94 and was in second place with the short program about halfway complete. He also won a gold medal representing the United States in the team event earlier this week.
Torgashev is having fun with the moniker on his social media accounts in conjunction with his appearance at the Milan Cortina Games and describes himself on Instagram as “Team USA Figure Skating Pizza Ambassador.”
Torgashev, when asked about his favorite pizza last month, said “barbecue chicken is awesome, and if you do like honey and prosciutto.”
— USA TODAY Sports reporter Jordan Mendoza contributed to this story
