The 2026 Winter Olympics at Milan Cortina have had quite a few technological advances in the way that the games are presented. And former ice dancer Jordan Cowan is at the middle of it in figure skating.
We have seen several sports utilize drones in a new way this year, mostly for the events that happen in the mountains like skiing, snowboard cross, and the sled events. The drones have captured the true speed and thrill of these events like we have never really been able to appreciate in years past.
But the Winter Olympics are also about artistry, and that’s seen mostly in figure skating, which is one of the premier events of the two-week celebration of sport.
And in this year’s figure skating competition, fans are taking note of a man dressed in all-white skating around the rink with a camera trying to capture the athletes in a new way. That man is former elite ice dancer Jordan Cowan, who is skating along with the competitors to try to find an up close and personal way to deliver the scenes from Milan. Cowan’s work has gone viral throughout the 2026 Winter Olympics on social media.
A big shoutout to the figure skating cameraman at the Milano-Cortina Olympics 🇮🇹✨pic.twitter.com/XOeO0Gwqe6
— Mambo Italiano (@mamboitaliano__) February 14, 2026
Cowan spoke to the Associated Press about the on-ice cameraman role and how he hopes to set a standard for what figure skating coverage can be for years to come.
Former U.S. competitive ice dancer Jordan Cowan is the first camera operator on figure skating ice in Olympic history, capturing intimate moments that the overhead or sideboard cameras cannot. pic.twitter.com/DMbeiWx22t
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 17, 2026
“This will be the first time that a camera operator has been on the ice for the figure skating events at an Olympic games,” Cowan said. “And that to me is a huge responsibility. I get to set the standard for Olympics to come, at least I hope that this is something that we get to include in the future. As a skater and as a dancer I wanted to feel what it was like to skate and what it was like to dance. And most videos shot from a static angle is missing that. So by putting the camera in the hands of a dancer, in the hands of a skater, you can now tell the story of what you’re supposed to be feeling when someone’s doing a specific move, like a jump or a spin. So by being on the ice and understanding what it feels like to do those things, I think that emotion is conveyed in the frame.”
Cowan also took Olympic fans inside his preparation as he detailed his custom-made camera setup for capturing the incredible figure skating performances.
Jordan Cowan was on the ice as camera operator for both Ilia Malinin’s performance in the team gold medal victory for the United States and his shocking collapse in the individual men’s competition. Capturing those moments on the ice presented viewers at home with a whole new perspective on the intensity of Olympic competition, and as the old adage goes, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
Top-level ice skating is difficult enough. Doing it with a camera and trying to capture all of the jumps, spins, and dances at the Olympics with the world watching takes a special amount of skill.
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