Figure skater Jason Brown, 31, is attempting to make his third Olympic team for the 2026 Winter Games.
Brown is bringing back his viral ‘Riverdance’ program from 2014 for his short program this season.
While known for his artistry, Brown faces challenges with the technical elements of his skating compared to younger competitors.
In a time where the young stars headline U.S. figure skating, Jason Brown is out to prove he still has it.
The 31-year-old burst onto the scene in 2014, when he went viral and earned a spot on the 2014 Winter Olympics team, eventually winning a bronze medal. Afterward, he thought he would call it quits, but he still had more to give and made it back to the Winter Games in 2022. Again, he thought he was done after that.
But in 2026, Brown is back at it for what could be the last dance. He heads into the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships with a chance to make Team USA for a third time, and he’ll try to do it with something that helped him reach stardom. That something is a blast from the past, and making it to the 2026 Winter Olympics would remain just as special.
“Just competing at an Olympic Games is the most special thing as an athlete and getting to represent your country,” Brown told USA TODAY Sports. “Gosh, it would be so special.”
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Jason Brown brings back Riverdance
At the 2014 U.S. figure skating championships, a long-haired, 19-year-old Brown performed Riverdance free skate program. With Irish music and dance, it became a huge hit and catapulted Brown into stardom.
All these years later, it is still one of the most memorable performances, as people have continuously told him about how special it was.
“That’s one of my favorite programs of his,” U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu said. “I remember watching that when I was little, and it’s the only program I remember watching when I was little, really, because it just stood out that much.”
Now in this season, Brown has brought back the hit performance, using it for his short program. It’s something Brown said “really launched my career,” so he is using it as an opportunity to say thank you to the fans for all the years of support he’s received.
Although using it for a shorter length, it has drawn the same type of reaction. The crowd roared when he performed it on home soil at 2025 Skate America in November.
Yet it didn’t get Brown on the podium. He was fifth in the short program and finished fourth in the men’s side of the event, six points out of bronze. It was a similar story the same month at 2025 Finlandia Trophy with a fifth-place finish.
It highlights one of the biggest challenges facing Brown: His creative artistry is among the best and why he’s able to win so many hearts over, but the technical side of skating is an uphill battle.
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It’s common for men skaters to execute tough jumps like triple Axels, but it’s not necessarily Brown’s forte. As a result, he’s under a bigger microscope. “I don’t have the luxury of anything to fall back on” for the technical side, Brown said, needing to basically be technically perfect to place high. Just those small errors can make it tough for when the best possible score isn’t the highest.
“It’s definitely frustrating,” Brown said. “Every time I go out onto the ice, I know that to be up there with the best, I have to be as perfect and as clean as possible.”
Jason Brown goes for third Winter Olympics
Brown’s pursuit of perfection will be on display this week at the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships, one last chance for each American skater to prove they belong on the Olympic roster that will be announced on Sunday, Jan. 11.
Team USA has three spots for men’s figure skating in Milano Cortina. Young phenom Ilia Malinin is a shoe-in, but it’s up in the air for the two remaining spots. The general sense is Brown is in great position to qualify, and it will take a strong outing to leave no doubt when the roster is announced.
Yes, he is a beloved skater, but he wants people to know he is very competitive, and he really wants people to take him seriously. He wants to prove that he belongs and he leaves no doubt in earning a spot.
If he qualifies, it could be the perfect cap to his long career. He hasn’t officially said this will be his swan song, but Brown did say in November “mentally, this is definitely an end of sorts.”
Given the stakes, Brown said he tries to not think about what it could mean to his career to make Team USA, but admitted it is hard to not to. Still, it’s quite the achievement to be chasing a third Olympic Games, especially to do it over two decades.
It was 12 years ago when Brown stole hearts around the world. Now in 2026, the veteran skater is trying to do it one more time — in Milan.
“I’m really, really proud of my consistency, and I’m really proud of my longevity,” Brown said. “I’m really looking forward to just – fingers crossed – being out there in Milan.”
