Jacob Sanchez has flown under the radar the past couple years. The 19-year-old American skater had some solid credentials to his name coming into last year’s Olympic season (2024 JGP Final champion, 2024 Talinn Trophy winner, 4th place at 2025 Junior Worlds). But, in a U.S. men’s field that included technical phenom and World champion Ilia Malinin, renowned artist and two-time Olympian Jason Brown, and other top men, Sanchez did not attract much media attention or hype last year. Nonetheless, he came surprisingly close to making the 2026 Olympic team, with a pewter medal (fourth place) at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January. Sanchez followed that with impressive performances at the 2026 ISU World Championships in Prague, where he posted an unexpectedly high 12th-place finish (10th in the short program).
With these results, it’s safe to say Sanchez comes into this season with a much higher profile. Figure skating fans are getting to know him better both on and off the ice: Sanchez has his own YouTube channel,with 5000+ subscribers, and he also does live Twitch stream videos with his friend Ilia Malinin, in which the two skaters play video games and talk. Last week, Sanchez also featured at Styling 2027 and Summer Sizzler, U.S. Figure Skating’s season kick-off events in Boston. He debuted his new “Moon” short program at the Summer Sizzler show, and he’ll perform that program again this week, when he makes his season competitive debut at the ISU Challenger Series Kinoshita Group Cup in Tokyo. It’s the start of a new four-year skating cycle, which Sanchez hopes to cap with a spot on the U.S. 2030 Winter Olympic team. The young American, who is already known for his artistry and expressive style on the ice, has plans to upgrade his technical content as well. Sanchez took some time to discuss it all with the media at the Summer Sizzler event last week.
Q: Last season was a breakout year. You placed yourself on the podium at Nationals, you got to your first World Championships. You’re a person with big dreams. How have those experiences influenced how you see yourself and your goals for the next year?
Sanchez: Last year was not just a year of growth on the ice; it was a year of growth for myself. Last year, I found myself at very low points in my own self-esteem and in my own life. I feel like I struggled a lot with confidence and overall morale toward the sport and just day-to-day life. Being able to work my mental game as well as I did last year, and discover what helps me get through those hard days and good days, and finding those strategies, was huge. That played as big of a role on the ice as it did off the ice. So for me, it was a year of growth. I feel like I’m still learning more and more about myself, as each experience and each day goes on.
Q: How are you finding the changes to the free skate this season (reduction in jumps and addition of choreo spin)? Does it feel different, skating a free skate with those changes?
Sanchez: I think this season, with the rule changes–taking away a jump, taking away a leveled spin, and adding a choreographic spin–is definitely a little bit different. It feels a little bit different training. And, instead of having three combinations [in the free skate], we now have only two. But I’ve been liking the pacing of the program a lot. I really enjoy adding every little bit of storytelling or any bit of choreography I can. I feel like having one less jumping pass allows me to have a little bit more time to convey that story, through each transition and each movement.
Q: How have the changes to the free skate affected your strategy, in terms of which jumps you’re performing in the program?
Sanchez: When we got the confirmation about the six jumps [in free skate], my team and I immediately went to strategizing. We constructed about seven or eight different program layouts. I think it’s most strategic to pick your strongest elements, of course. And now, missing one jump, I have to prefer going with the technically harder layout, to maximize points on the technical side. But I don’t want to sacrifice quality. I think finding the equilibrium between quality and technical ability is one of the most difficult parts about finding the best formula for the six-jump layout. But I feel like my team and I have constructed a really well-thought layout for this season.
Q: How’s the development of a quad going?
Sanchez: It’s coming along. I am trying to put it in this year. In my position, I think it’s a must to start to add, from now [on]. Obviously, we’re stepping into a new cycle. So I think it’s strategic to put myself in those situations where I have to go for that. And obviously, I’m going up against a lot of other competition who are doing multiple quads. So in order to make that [2030 Olympic] team, I want to incorporate that quad as much as I can, so I can find that muscle memory and feeling for it, and so I can continue to build that.
Q: Which quads are you trying?
Sanchez: Right now, I’m focused on just quad Salchow. And I will say, I’ve been having a lot of fun with it. I am probably going to put it in both the short and long [programs] this year. So we’ll see, event by event, how it’s going.
Q: Can you talk about your packaging and programs for this season?
Sanchez: Especially this year, I was very, very involved in the creation process of both programs. I was very fortunate to collaborate with Misha Ge on my short program [to music by Ludwig Beethoven and Sofiane Pomart], and I was able to continue my collaborations with Adam Blake on my free skate [to the Demon Slayer soundtrack]. It was great to exchange ideas with both of them. I always have a fun time making new programs, and I’m very excited to show them.
Q: This is another free skate that was choreographed by Adam Blake. Tell us about your collaboration and how it keeps working, year after year. [It was their fourth free skate collaboration.]
Sanchez: Working with Adam, it’s always a great time. He knows me so well. It feels not like work; it just feels like fun. We both are creative people, and we complement each other. He has creative ideas, and I’m doing my best to continue creating more ideas for myself. I feel like we bounce off each other really well. He was very kind to let me have a lot of the credit, and he encouraged me to add myself as a choreographer for the free skate, which is really, really cool.
Q: You’re good friends with Ilia Malinin. How has he influenced your skating?
Sanchez: Ilia has had a tremendous effect on my skating. Being able to grow up with him, from when we were little, all the way to this day, it’s super-inspiring. We met when we were very little. Having that friendship build, and be as strong as it is right now, it’s really cool. And Ilia has given me all of this advice when it comes to competing under pressure. He’s helped me navigate myself, and navigate different strategies that I can use. Even day to day, I’m always able to reach out, and he’s always there for me. It’s really cool to have somebody like him in my close circle, and it’s something I value a lot. I hope–and I will work for–to hopefully, in 2030, be on that Olympic team with him.
Q: Have your Twitch streams with Ilia helped you connect with fans?
Sanchez: Yes. The Twitch streaming is so much fun. It’s so nice to be able to do something that I love, which is video games, while also sharing that with an audience. And I’ve gotten so many positive comments and messages.
Q: What’s one difficult obstacle you had to overcome while skating?
Sanchez: One obstacle that was really difficult to overcome personally was the commitment [of skating] under pressure. It was really easy to get in my head and get kind of doubtful of myself under that pressure.
Q: What’s a quote that you tell yourself that keeps you motivated?
Sanchez: A quote that really sticks with me all the time, and that I always repeat to myself is: Let’s just keep fighting and keep pushing.
