Last season tested Isabeau Levito in unexpected ways when an injury sidelined her during the heart of the season. But in recovery, she found something deeper: gratitude, hunger and a renewed sense of purpose in skating. Now, fully healed and more confident than ever, Levito enters the Olympic season not just chasing glory in Milan, but rediscovering the passion that first drew her to the ice.
Following a three-month rest period to heal a foot injury, 18-year-old Levito made her competitive return with a second-place finish at the Road to 26 Trophy in Assago, Italy, last February. Soon after, her fourth-place finish at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 in Boston helped secure three women's spots for the U.S. at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games. Her performance at Worlds was her true comeback moment after missing out on multiple events through the 2024-25 season, including the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Isabeau Levito Photo by Janet Liu
"It was a good result for one of my first competitions back almost at 100 percent," Levito said. "I was grateful that my federation gave me the opportunity to compete, given that I was on the brink of full recovery. It was good for my confidence."
Those promising results led right into the offseason for figure skating, but Levito focused on building back her strength and enjoying more time on the ice with a stint with Stars On Ice. For her, Stars On Ice was a time to have fun and perform to her heart's content.
"I got used to skating in a dress," she said with a laugh, "and I only recently realized how much easier it is to do dress rehearsals for this season than last year, and I was wondering what's changed. And then I remembered the 30 shows I did with Stars On Ice. It's so helpful for training, and I was having a blast.
"It was really in the offseason after the tour where I started to feel like myself physically."
With Stars On Ice in the rearview and an Olympic season ahead, the 2024 World silver medalist set her sights on her love for being on the ice and competing. In setting her goals for the year, she reminisced about how she felt competing at her best when she was younger: with a focus entirely on herself.
"My goal is to just feel very comfortable competing and very comfortable performing and to be relaxed knowing that I can perform my best when needed at any given moment," she said.
The practice began earlier this season with an appearance at 2025 Cranberry Cup International at The Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, Massachusetts., weeks before she and the rest of the National Team headed back to Norwood for Champs Camp. When her friends asked why she was competing so early in the season, she had an easy answer: "I just wanted to practice."
Cranberry Cup was also the first preview of Levito's Olympic season programs, two pieces her coach chose to complement her on-ice personality and capture her captivating performance skills. Those qualities shine through in her short program, set to "Almost in Your Arms" by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston and "Zou Bisou Bisou" by Bill Shepherd and Alan Tew, both songs performed by Sophia Loren.
In Levito's eyes, the flirty and elegant combination of the two songs is similar in style to her
Breakfast at Tiffany's program, which many fans encouraged her to keep.
"This [short program] is elevated and slightly more Italian as well," she said. "It's sultry and fun to skate to. I love hearing the music every day."
Her free skate, set to
Cinema Paradiso by Ennio Morricone, the soundtrack to its namesake movie, is another piece the 2024 U.S. bronze medalist loves to listen to and perform. The program shifts the tone entirely; where the short program is playful and sultry, the free skate is lyrical and cinematic. Levito taps into a narrative and aims to tell the story of the movie's themes: love, loss and memory. From a film set in Sicily, the homage to Italy through this music choice is a kismet choice for Levito as she eyes Milano Cortina 2026.
Before she can fully focus on the Olympics, though, Levito has a full season of competition to look forward to, where she can enjoy performing and return to her first love for the ice. Recently off fourth-place finishes at 2025 Nebelhorn Trophy and Grand Prix de France, Levito looks forward to Skate Canada in Saskatoon, Canada, this week. For her, every competition will be a "step in the right direction."
When asked to summarize the upcoming season, a spark lit up in Levito's eyes.
"Pure excitement."
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