Before the Olympics, a Coral Springs Skater Comes Home

Credit: David W. Carmichael, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

With the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan just weeks away, most elite athletes narrow their focus, shrink their world, and eliminate distractions.

Andrew Torgashev did something different.

Before returning to full training mode, the 24-year-old figure skater came back to Coral Springs — not for competition, not for media, but to reconnect with the place where his journey began.

A Local Beginning With International Roots

Torgashev grew up in Coral Springs, training at the local rink under the guidance of his parents, Ilona Melnichenko and Artem Torgashev, both former competitive skaters from the Soviet Union.

They coached him until he was 16, instilling discipline early and grounding his development long before Olympic conversations entered the picture.

That foundation now matters more than ever.

Torgashev is vying for one of just three spots on Team USA’s men’s figure skating roster for Milan — a decision that will be shaped by performances at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships later this month.

A Career Reaching Its Inflection Point

His credentials place him firmly in contention.

In 2025, he earned silver at the U.S. Championships, following a bronze medal at the 2024 Grand Prix de France — results that reflect steady progress rather than a sudden breakout.

But this phase of an athlete’s career is rarely about medals alone. It’s about consistency, control, and mental steadiness. These are qualities that often get tested hardest right before the biggest moments.

That context helps explain why coming home mattered.

Why Returning Matters Before Moving Forward

During his visit, Torgashev skated at the Florida Panthers Ice Den. Interestingly, it was not part of any sort of qualifying event, but merely as a performance meant to step outside the pressure cycle.

He revisited familiar places, drove past former schools and homes, and spent time in the city that shaped his early routines.

For athletes operating at this level, those pauses are rarely sentimental. They’re strategic — reminders of why the work started in the first place.

The goal, as he’s described it, wasn’t escape. It was recalibration.

A Coral Springs Thread In a Global Story

Coral Springs won’t decide whether Andrew Torgashev makes Team USA. Judges and score sheets will do that.

But the city remains part of the story in a quieter way — as the place that trained him before the stakes were global, before the margins were razor thin, and before every routine carried national weight.

Whether Milan ultimately includes his name or not, that connection is already established. And for a local community, that’s often the part worth noticing.

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This story is part of The Bright Side, which is an ongoing series from Coral Springs Insider that highlights positive developments and community moments around Coral Springs.

Editor’s note: This piece was selected and adapted for Coral Springs Insider to provide local context and perspective on an issue relevant to our community.