The 2026 Impact Summit is underway in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this week.

Headlining the week, for the first time since the Olympic Winter Games in Milan in February, the entire U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team came together for a celebratory Toast to Milan event.

Hundreds of people turned out to see, hear and get autographs from their Olympic heroes during an intimate gathering on Wednesday at the Ent Center for the Arts on the campus of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

The 90-minute show, taped for NBC's Peacock network and slated to air May 30, featured emcee and 2018 Olympian Adam Rippon. The charismatic host fired up the crowd while introducing skaters from each of the four disciplines; he asked them questions that ranged from their competitive mindset at the Games, to what foods they enjoyed most in Milan, to their favorite off-ice experiences.

Two-time Olympian Jason Brown engaged with the audience and helped relay questions from the crowd.

"It was special to reflect on everything Team USA accomplished and celebrate the hard work and moments that made the Games so meaningful," said Emilea Zingas, who with Vadym Kolesnik, finished fifth in ice dance at their first Olympics. "We feel incredibly honored to have been recognized in such a special way and are so thankful to have been part of such an amazing night."

"The Toast to Milan was such an incredible evening, and we are so grateful to be reunited with our teammates, team leaders, doctors and officials who shared in this unforgettable journey," Kolesnik added.

Many of the skaters recently concluded a 30-city Stars on Ice Tour.

After the show ended, the entire team took a bow. Five-time Olympian Evan Bates thanked the audience for their continued support of U.S. Figure Skating and its athletes, reminding everyone that it takes a village for skaters to reach the Olympic pinnacle.

Toast to Milan is being held in conjunction with the Impact Summit. U.S. Figure Skating's annual assembly and leadership summit combines the bylaws, rule changes and elections processes with an immersive education, training and networking conference for leaders across the sport. Approximately 760 people are attending the four-day summit.

Experts in their respective areas are leading the classes, which hit on all aspects of figure skating including leadership, coaching, officiating, parenting, rule changes, club matters, element breakdowns, SkateSafe, choreography, music rights and potential ISU rule and calendar changes.

"The energy is outstanding," Justin Dillon, chief high performance officer at U.S. Figure Skating, said. "We hosted a dinner for our singles and pairs coaches who are in the elite track and we worked on problem-solving, we got into the weeds, because a lot of time we have abbreviated schedules and can't get into as much detail."

"I saw such good participation right out of the gate at 8 a.m. People don't want to miss programming, because this is a one-chance opportunity, so I think they are taking advantage of all of it. It's a great opportunity for us to bring everyone together as a community for the next quad."

Dillon and ISU officials talked about potential changes to rules, including a revamped competition calendar and the impact of AI on music rights and other aspects of the sport.

"Everyone wants to know how these changes will impact what they do," he said.
       
One group of coaches are receiving their inaugural experience with U.S. Figure Skating. Making up the "Global Pass" were 15 coaches from nine countries: Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Norway, Argentina, South Africa, Malaysia and Indonesia.

They are sitting in on different classes and participating in on-ice workshops with the goal of enhancing their countries' figure skating programs.

"They are excited to be here," Kelly Vogtner, senior director of special projects at U.S. Figure Skating, said. "They appreciate U.S. Figure Skating reaching out to them and our coaches who have offered their knowledge and expertise."

Veteran coaches and officials Jeff DiGregorio and Denise Williamson addressed a large group of coaches, where they explored how insights gained from the technical panel inform coaching strategies — and how coaching experience, in turn, strengthens their work on the panel.

"There were a lot of questions, especially during the roundtables," DiGregorio said.

Janet Fletcher, representing Procter and Gamble, was in town to learn more about National Governing Bodies and how they are structured.

Recently retired, she was a leader of sports marketing for the company for many years. P&G are longtime partners of U.S. Figure Skating, with 65 brands in its portfolio. It's been an Olympic sponsor since 2010.

"I'm here to learn about what NGBs do, how they are structured, what's important to the clubs, what's important to the athletes," Fletcher said. "I've been so pleased with the people who have come and their engagement with the sessions. I've met three different clubs, two people who serve on boards, several club presidents, so I've gotten a first-hand view of what's important to them. I really do like the way this has been structured. Speakers were very well-prepared and they kept things going. The entire afternoon flew by and people did not leave their seats. They were that engaged.

"This is a good opportunity to get an inside view of a very strong NGB. I'm so exciting about figure skating and to learn about how we build on the momentum from Milan-Cortina."

The Impact Summit wraps up Saturday with the traditional Governing Council. A rulebook update, budget review, software preview for CJS in Compete USA, update on Synchro 9, scoring changes and a look at the Impact 2030 strategic plan will take place with the new president of U.S. Figure Skating and U.S. Figure Skating CEO Matt Farrell.