What it costs to be an elite figure skater like the 'Quad God'

February 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Speakers & Context

The Format: Host-led discussion with guest expert, incorporating quotes from Olympic athletes.
The Key Players:
- Hosts: NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money team (NPRist and Wayland Wong), blending economics reporting with Olympics coverage.
- Guest: Lillian Care Bake (Oregon Public Broadcasting economics reporter; former competitive skater), credible via personal experience and econ lens on sports costs.
- Quoted Experts: US Olympic medalists Timothy Gable (2002 bronze), Ashley Wagner (2014 bronze), providing insider cost breakdowns.
The Vibe: Playful yet analytical—economics unpacked through "knife shoes" metaphors, highlighting absurdity of elite sports pricing.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **🎙️ Introduction: Lillian Care Bake**
2 (02:54) **Early Costs: Lessons and Equipment**
3 (04:22) **Ice Time and Coaching Expenses**
4 (04:30) **Financial Heredity Among Top Skaters**
5 (06:16) **Travel, Relocation, and USFS Funding**
6 (07:21) **Choreography and Costumes**
7 (08:12) **Pairs Skating Gender Imbalance**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Behind every Ilia Malinin or Alysa Liu, there is an army of elite figure skating coaches and choreographers who have been with them from the beginning. On today’s show, how much does it cost to achieve Olympic glory and why is it so expensive?

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy