I Won’t Miss the Olympic Competition—I’ll Miss the Olympic-Size Tears

The first came as Japanese pairs skaters Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara broke down in tears on the ice—I’m talking full-on hysterics. And these weren’t tears of regret—they were tears of triumph and joy, as the duo went from fifth place to winning the gold medal. They even hugged as they knelt on the ice, not fully believing just how well their free skate had gone. I still have chills.

Another favorite moment happened off the ice. US figure skater Amber Glenn was visibly shaken and at a loss for words—but not because of her performance on the ice. While she skated to Madonna’s hit song “Like a Prayer,” it was a behind-the-scenes video that truly took her breath away. During an interview, Glenn was handed a phone featuring a surprise video message from Madonna herself.

The iconic singer told her, “You are an incredible skater. So strong. So beautiful. So brave.”

Glenn could barely respond, saying, “I’m shaking.” After the video concluded, she continued, “Sorry, I'm in shock. I'm in complete shock. Oh my god. I'm legitimately shaking.” There are those Olympic chills again.

And finally, I was obsessed with Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama as he reacted to his silver medal skating win. Cameras caught Yuma crying with his hand covering his mouth, as his friend from childhood, Sato Shun (who happened to win bronze), stood by his side. It was another breathtaking show of emotion that definitely had me choked up.

Were these the only tears from this year’s games? Certainly not. But each of these moments proves my point. It’s not the sport of it all that keeps me tuning in every two years. It’s the drama—and the 2026 Olympics delivered plenty of it.