U.S. figure skater Isabeau Levito’s first trip to the Winter Olympics came with an extra layer of meaning.
For the 18-year-old, that these Olympic Winter Games were held in Milano, Italy, might have seemed like fate – her mother was born here before immigrating to the United States in 1997.
Nearly 30 years later, she took to the ice Thursday (19 February) for the women’s free skate inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena, just minutes away from where her grandmother still lives.
She earned 131.96, giving her a 202.80 score when combined with Tuesday’s (17 February) short program.
“This has been a wonderful experience,” she told reporters afterward. “This has been like a fantasy, I really loved being here.”
Levito shook off a fall on her opening triple Flip jump, responding with five more triple jumps including a triple Flip, double Axel sequence, and a triple Loop, double toe loop, double toe loop combo.
“I just kind of went on autopilot because in training, I just go, go, go, a lot of repetitions, so again I do my best when I’m thinking less,” Levito said. “So, I just kind of went on autopilot so the rest went how it usually goes.”
The 2024 world silver medallist paid homage to her heritage, skating to Italian composer Ennio Morricone’s Cinema Paradiso.
“I didn’t feel like I had to fight really hard out there, I was just going through the motions that I do every day,” reflected Levito. “Getting to be here with friends, meeting new people from different sports, this has just been a wonderful experience. It’s felt like once in a lifetime because I’ve never experienced something like this before.”
