Inside the secret text group of US figure skating Olympic gold medalists known as ‘the OGM chain’

Olympic Gold Medalists Share Exclusive Bond Through Text Chain

When Nathan Chen’s phone lit up with a message shortly after his triumphant figure skating performance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the text carried more weight than a simple congratulation. “Welcome to our chat,” it read, inviting him into one of the most exclusive groups in American sports – the “OGM chain,” where “OGM” stands for “only gold medalists.”

“This is everything,” Chen replied, acknowledging his entry into this rarified community of American figure skaters who have claimed Olympic gold.

“It’s really fun. You go into the chat and you’re like, ‘Wow,'” said Brian Boitano, the 1988 Olympic champion, who recently shared details about the text group. “You just think to yourself, ‘I’m actually in this community.’ Not only that you’re in the Olympic community, but you’re a gold medalist.”

The United States boasts a distinguished legacy in figure skating that dates back a century. The nation’s first medal in the sport was a bronze claimed by Theresa Weld at the 1920 Antwerp Games, four years before the inaugural Winter Olympics. Dick Button secured America’s first gold medal in men’s figure skating at the 1948 St. Moritz Games and successfully defended his title four years later in Oslo. Button, who passed away last year at 95, remains the only deceased American figure skating gold medalist.

The exclusive group has grown steadily over decades, including luminaries such as Carol Heiss, Scott Hamilton, Dorothy Hamill, Kristi Yamaguchi, Meryl Davis, and Charlie White. Before last weekend, the total membership stood at 24 Olympic champions.

That number expanded by five on Sunday night when Ilia Malinin anchored the American team to gold in the figure skating team event at the current Winter Games. Malinin’s clutch performance against Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama in a head-to-head showdown helped the U.S. defend the team title they had won in Beijing, securing membership for himself, Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, Ellie Kam, and Danny O’Shea. Ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates were already part of the club from the 2022 team victory.

“It means a lot personally,” said 86-year-old Carol Heiss, who is married to fellow Olympic champion Hayes Allen Jenkins, “because we are able to talk about the sport and about skaters and about the U.S. team. If we feel strongly about something, we kind of voice our opinions.”

While Heiss doesn’t believe the group directly shapes Team USA policies, she acknowledges the unique bond they share: “We all know how it feels. We all have that memory of standing on an Olympic podium.”

Dorothy Hamill added poignantly, “It happens so fast. Four minutes on the ice and two minutes on the podium and then boom, life changes.”

The text chain isn’t limited to celebrations. When tragedy struck the figure skating community earlier this year – an American Airlines flight bound for Washington, D.C. collided with an army helicopter over the Potomac River, killing 67 people, including many from the figure skating world who were returning from a development camp – the OGM chain became a vital communication channel.

“It was very active during the plane crash. Everybody was talking then,” Scott Hamilton recalled. “It was just such a tragedy.”

The Olympic champions used their group to organize support for those affected, ultimately creating “Legacy on Ice,” a benefit event for the families of crash victims that took place last March. More than half a dozen gold medalists participated in the memorial.

“Everybody came together,” Boitano said. “That’s what is so unique about our sport. We are all part of a family.”

This exclusive text chain represents more than just athletic achievement – it symbolizes a living history of American figure skating excellence and the enduring bonds formed through shared experiences at the highest level of competition. As each Olympic cycle brings potential new members, the OGM chain preserves both tradition and community among those who have reached the pinnacle of their sport on the world’s biggest stage.