Synchronized Skating Joins 2030 Winter Olympic Program
The International Olympic Committee confirms synchronized ice skating will be a medal sport at the 2030 Winter Games.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Ice Skating
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The International Olympic Committee announced in July 2026 that synchronized ice skating, known as Synchro9, is now an official Olympic sport. This team-based discipline will make its debut at the 2030 Winter Olympics in France.
Why it matters
The inclusion follows years of dedicated lobbying by leaders within the synchronized skating community to gain recognition on the Olympic stage. This decision creates a clear pathway for elite athletes to compete for gold medals representing Team USA.
Tropical & Sunshine Blades in Pembroke Pines currently supports a training group of 40 to 50 skaters ranging in age from 6-year-old Anastacia to 18-year-old Barbara Hidalgo. Coach Margarita Tyler has directed these programs for the past six years.
The players
International Olympic Committee
This non-governmental sports organization oversees the modern Olympic Games and determines which sports are included in each competition cycle.
Margarita Tyler
She is a skating coach based in Pembroke Pines who has spent six years training athletes in synchronized routines.
Barbara Hidalgo
She is an 18-year-old athlete currently training at Tropical & Sunshine Blades for potential national team selection.
The details
Skaters perform complex routines requiring precise unison on the ice, featuring integrated lifts, spins, and jumps. Local coaches and athletes in Pembroke Pines are now restructuring their training regimens to focus on the rigorous requirements needed to qualify for the national Olympic roster.
Timeline
The International Olympic Committee announced the addition in July 2026.
The Winter Olympics will take place in 2030.
Season Trajectory
The introduction of synchronized skating shifts the Olympic landscape, forcing a recalibration of national training resources compared to the 2022 Winter Olympics program. This change forces regional clubs to elevate their standards to compete for spots on the new national team roster.
Local skaters at Tropical & Sunshine Blades must now meet new, high-performance standards to be considered for Team USA training squads. This shift directly impacts the competitive intensity of practice sessions for athletes like Barbara Hidalgo and younger teammates as they chase Olympic qualifying benchmarks.
The takeaway
The move to make synchronized skating an Olympic sport transforms the discipline from a regional pursuit into a global athletic ambition. Aspiring skaters should focus on mastering technical unison and high-level agility to align with the competitive demands of the upcoming 2030 cycle.
Further reading
Learn more about local skating programs by visiting the Ice Skating section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale.
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