MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Inside the Pettitt Center this weekend, the next generation of figure skating Olympians is taking the ice for Skate Milwaukee and the U.S. Junior Cup of Skating, even as the Winter Olympics remain six months away.
For young skaters like Jiaying Johnson, the competition represents another step toward Olympic aspirations.
Watch: Young figure skaters compete at Skate Milwaukee & U.S. Junior Cup with Olympic dreams
"This is my third junior cup, and I really like this event because I feel like it brings all the best athletes all over the country together for a really fun event," Johnson said.
Every spin, jump, and performance brings Johnson closer to her dream of competing on the world's biggest stage.
"Going to the Olympic Games would be a dream come true," Johnson said.
Johnson has her sights set on the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, while younger competitors are already looking ahead to 2034, when the games return to American ice in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Among those rising stars is Mia Iwase, who finds inspiration in Olympic veterans.
"That would be really cool, and some of my favorite skaters are actually Jason Brown," Iwase said.
Brown, a 2014 Bronze Medalist, served as a guest judge at Skate Milwaukee this weekend. He spent time speaking with competitors while maintaining focus on his own Olympic journey toward 2026 Milan Cortina.
"I have been there before," Brown smiled. "I have walked in their shoes, and I think it's — there is a sense of pride knowing about the work that I put in to get to where I am today."
The Olympic veteran understands both success and disappointment in the pursuit of making Team USA.
"I have made teams and I've also not qualified for teams, so I've been through both the highs and the lows of it, so I think this year I'm just really excited to take it all in and embrace it all, but at the end of the day, you know just going to give it my all and hope for the best," Brown said.
The U.S. Men's Figure Skating team won't be announced until the beginning of January, but Brown believes this will be his final attempt to compete at the Winter Olympics.
Skate Milwaukee competition concludes Sunday.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
