- Salt Lake City's Randi Strong is shaping Team USA's Olympic figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
- Strong focuses on presentation; she also helps skaters like Ilia Malinin with eye contact.
- Her choreography emphasizes body lines and gaze, aiming for winning performances.
MILAN — Figure skating and ice dancing are some of the most popular events to watch at the Olympics, and if Team USA seems especially confident this year, they can thank, in part, a Salt Lake City choreographer.
Whether rehearsing moves with the "Quad God," Ilia Malinin, or coaching star Alysa Liu about confidence, Salt Lake City's Randi Strong is helping Team USA skaters and pairs prepare for the Olympics.
"Because I don't skate, I don't know anything about the blades and the steps that they actually do on the ice, so what I focus on is everything up here (above the waist). It's the presentation. It's how you hold your body," Strong said, adding it's that texture and nuance that can mean the difference between silver and gold.
"You might forget what someone does or the costume they wear or the music they skate to, but you'll never forget what they made you feel when you watch it," Strong said. "And I think that that can be the differentiator."
With Malinin, Strong said she works a lot on "finishing his lines."
"Finishing an extension, finishing the picture," she said.
However, the biggest thing she's been working on with Malinin is his eye contact and where he's looking. Strong said keeping a fixed gaze throughout a routine, rather than having "wandering eyeballs," results in better performance.
Strong shows other subtle body movements that become obvious when you see them.
"So I can finish a line like this, or I can hit a line like that. And it automatically just finishes the line," she said. She's had those moments while watching a meet, and realizing she knows the move.
"Whoever I'm sitting next to, I'm like, 'I did that.' So, it's really cool to see," Strong said. And she hopes these subtle lessons contribute to winning performances.
Strong choreographed Malinin's upcoming gala program. As fans watch him compete, they may notice his finished lines and focused eyes.
"Ilia Malinin, he's a huge star at the Olympics right now," Strong said. "He's crushing it, and he can really tap in and make you, like, just love ice skating."
If Malinin takes home the gold for this performance, Utah talent will have played an important role in that victory.
