#milanocortina2026 #figureskating Olympics Preview with Sarah Hughes

In this episode of 'Keep the Flame Alive,' hosts Jill Jaracz and Alison Brown discuss the excitement building around the Olympic and Paralympic year, along with the ongoing preparations and challenges. They are joined by Sarah Hughes, a figure skating expert from NBC Sports and co-host of 'The Runthrough' podcast. Sarah shares a comprehensive preview of the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, focusing on figure skating disciplines including pairs, ice dance, men's, and women's singles. The conversation delves into predictions, the artistic versus technical elements of the sport, and unique program highlights such as a Jaws and Pope-themed programs. Points of interest include the comeback of top skaters and the intense competition within the Japanese team. The episode also features insights into the intricate world of figure skating production and athlete experiences. 00:00 Introduction 02:14 Sarah Hughes on Figure Skating ahead of Milano Cortina 2026 04:48 Sarah Hughes' career in TV production 06:45 How The Runthrough came to be 09:35  Previewing the pairs  Olympic figure skating competition at Milano Cortina 2026 19:40  Previewing the ice dance Olympic figure skating competition at Milano Cortina 2026 30:40 What "the void" is in figure skating 31:43 2025 figure skating comebacks 38:16 Previewing the men's  Olympic figure skating competition at Milano Cortina 2026 50:06 Previewing the women's  Olympic figure skating competition at Milano Cortina 2026 01:06:46 Who will represent Japan in figure skating at the 2026 Olympics? 01:09:03 Support the show's production of the 2026 Milano Cortina Games **Are you a Milano or a Cortina?** Let us know by helping us raise funds to cover the production costs of our Milano Cortina 2026 coverage, which includes at least 32 daily episodes (and probably 100+ escapades that only your favorite Olympic and Paralympic aunties can get into). We need your support to make this coverage happen. Please make a contribution here: https://flamealivepod.com/milano-cort... For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! *** Keep the Flame Alive: Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tun in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympic Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT. *** Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod Become a patron and get bonus content:   / flamealivepod   Buy merch here: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com Hang out with us online: Facebook:   / flamealivepod   Insta:   / flamealivepod   Facebook Group: h  / flamealivepod   Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/su... VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348 #olympics #skating #preview