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US Olympic medalist Alex Shibutani has apologized after footage emerged of him berating his younger sister and ice dancing partner Maia.
“I feel really bad about this,” Alex told reporters on Friday. “Unfortunately, I lost my temper in training and it shouldn’t have happened. I apologized to Maia immediately after our practice.”
In the video that leaked on social media last month, Alex can be heard directing an expletive-filled rant at his younger sister.
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Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani of the United States perform in Ice Dance – Free Dance on Day 2 of the NHK Grand Prix of Figure Skating ISU 2025 at the Towa Pharmaceutical Ractab Dome on November 8, 2025 in Osaka, Japan. (Tang Xinyu/VCG via Getty Images)
“The intensity of what we’re trying to do and the standards we have, we both understand (the outburst), but it was wrong and I’m committed to being a better teammate,” he said. “I am very lucky to skate with Maia. We have a unique and special relationship and we are committed to each other and this process.”
Maia expressed “understanding” for her brother’s behavior.
“When you work to do your best, there will be intense moments, but for us we understand each other and we understand the process and we get through it together like brothers do,” he said. “We kept practicing that day and picked each other every time.”
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The duo finished sixth at the NHK Trophy in Osaka on Saturday.
They will compete again in the Finland Trophy in two weeks with the US nationals in January.
Alex, 34, and Maia, 31, have skated together most of their lives and were long America’s dominant ice dancers, winning bronze at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. They are three-time world championship medalists and two-time Olympians, finishing ninth at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi before finishing third in 2018.
After Pyeongchang, they stepped away from sports to focus on school and other interests.
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Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani of the United States compete in the Ice Free Dance during the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix – NHK Trophy at the Towa Pharmaceutical RACTAB Dome on November 8, 2025 in Osaka, Japan. (Toru Hanai – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
They extended their competitive hiatus when Maia was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in her kidney in 2019. She underwent surgery to remove the mass and further treatment resulted in a successful but long and painful recovery.
Now, they are trying to return after a seven-year hiatus in hopes of making the U.S. team for next year’s Milan-Cortina Games.
