Credit: KSDK News
The video is only a few seconds long, but it has already made its way far beyond the confines of the Olympic Village.
Isabeau Levito, who was eighteen years old at the time, told reporters that she was having the best time of her life in Milan and that “you can’t evict me.” She added that she was smiling with a grin that was on the verge of being mischievous. It was a joke that a teenager would make about savoring every moment of the experience, and it was a line that was forgotten.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Isabeau Levito |
| Date of Birth | March 3, 2007 |
| Birthplace | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Major Achievements | 2024 World Silver Medalist; 2022 World Junior Champion; 2022–23 Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist |
| Olympic Participation | 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics |
| Governing Body | U.S. Figure Skating |
| Reference | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabeau_Levito |
But in the midst of an Olympic cycle that is characterized by pressure and scrutiny, the moment that Isabeau Levito was eliminated from competition felt like something else: a brief moment of ease.
The credentials that Levito brought with him to these Games are enough to make one take him seriously. She has been considered for a long time to be the heir to an American lineage of precise and polished women’s skating. She won a silver medal at the world championships in 2024 and was a former world junior champion. The programs that she creates are meticulous, lyrical, and controlled.
She often looks like a porcelain figurine that is moving when she is skating on the ice.
The image does not do justice to her ability when she is not on the ice.
Earlier in the season, I was able to observe her as she responded to a question regarding nerves during a press conference. Her response was so acerbic that it caused everyone in the room to laugh out loud. She paused for just the right amount of time to make the silence last. Her mother was standing a few feet away, with her arms folded, and she was attempting to keep her smile from being too broad. The fluorescent lights were humming overhead.
For many years, Levito has been accompanied by this duality. She once described her aura as that of an “ice princess” in a half-joking manner, and it is something that casual viewers perceive. A quick wit, a fondness for sarcasm, and a stubborn competitive streak that emerges during practice sessions are some of the characteristics that teammates describe about him.
It was in that space that the eviction comment was conceived.
It is common for athletes to describe a peculiar feeling of in-betweenness while they are inside the Olympic Village. Before the start of the competition, time slows down. There is a lively exchange of languages and accents in the cafeteria. Near the elevators, there is a pile of laundry bags. Volunteers in the security department scan badges in a routine manner by habit.
Levito stated that she had stayed in the Village each and every night, just taking it all in. She told the reporters, “It’s been everything and more than that.” She went on to say that she had the impression that her experience was already complete even before she stepped onto the Olympic ice.
When I heard that kind of uncomplicated joy at an event of this magnitude, I kept thinking about how uncommon it is to hear it happening.
There was a rapid response on the internet. Some accounts portrayed it as charming. Others referred to it as “raising eyebrows,” as if expressing joy were a violation of the established protocol. In high-performance sports, spectators can misinterpret obvious enjoyment as a distraction.
In figure skating, there is a long-standing tradition of maintaining a level of composure that is almost austere. What is expected of athletes is that they will appear disciplined and almost ethereal. Over the course of several decades, the sport has been defined by the conflict between personality and polish.
There appears to be less of a tendency for Levito’s generation to mute itself.
Among the members of the American team, she is in the spotlight alongside Amber Glenn, who is political and outspoken, and Alysa Liu, who retired at the age of 16 but later came back and won a world championship. Skaters who speak openly about issues such as mental health, burnout, identity, and doubt are a group that collectively represents a different reality.
Levito’s approach is more understated, but it is no less contemporary.
Additionally, there is the fact that the stays in Olympic Village are intended to be temporary rather than permanent. Within a short period of time after the conclusion of their competitions, athletes are, in fact, “evicted” to make room for the subsequent group of competitors. Not a metaphor, but rather a necessity for the sake of logistics.
Because the unspoken clock is something that everyone understands, her joke was successful.
For Levito, the stakes are not insignificant at all. Over the past twenty years, no American woman has ever won a singles medal at the Olympic Games. There is a gradual but steady buildup of pressure to put an end to that drought, which is mentioned in previews and presented in statistics.
In the practices that preceded her brief program, she skated with a concentration that was so intense that it felt almost insulated. As they cut through the ice, the blades left clean lines. There was a slight metallic chill in the air, which is something that anyone who has spent time in a rink is familiar with.
She maintained her light demeanor throughout the interviews.
Indeed, there is a valid counterpoint to this argument. Some coaches argue that an excessive amount of humor poses a threat to losing the competitive edge. Because of the unforgiving nature of the Olympics, a single non-rotated jump can completely redraw a podium.
Nevertheless, joy and seriousness are not incompatible with one another. The ability to hold both positions could be considered a competitive advantage, if nothing else.
In previous interviews, Levito has expressed his admiration for skaters who were able to combine elegance and inner steel. She places a high value on that lineage. In addition, she does so by making room for herself within it.
Scores and standings will quickly take the place of the quip about Isabeau Levito being eliminated from the competition. In this manner, Olympic cycles seem to go on forever. On the other hand, moments such as this one stay with us because they humanize athletes, who are typically only seen in slow motion and wearing sequins.
A statement made by an 18-year-old athlete who is on the verge of making her Olympic debut that she does not wish to leave the competition is a reassuring statement in a soft way.
It gives the impression that she is still aware of the privilege of being there, despite the fact that she has received training and faces expectations. She may carry with her that awareness, which is grounded, amused, and a little defiant, when she finally steps into the spotlight, and the music begins.