Ami Nakai Tops Short Program as amber glenn's Triple Loop Error Ends U.S. Medal Bid
Japan dominated the women's figure skating short program at Milan-Cortina 2026, with 17-year-old Ami Nakai producing a season-best performance to lead the field. The evening brought elation for the Japanese team and heartbreak for the U. S. as amber glenn missed a key jump and saw her Olympic medal hopes evaporate.
Japan's young star leads after a clean skate
Nakai delivered a composed, high-scoring routine that featured a towering triple axel and clean combinations, earning a season-best 78. 71 to sit atop the leaderboard. Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto followed closely in second, while Mone Chiba — last year's world bronze medallist — claimed fourth, giving Japan three of the top four positions after the short program.
The Japanese skaters combined technical difficulty with crisp execution. Nakai's performance stood out for its difficulty and consistency, and she said afterwards that she felt like she was "dreaming" and tried to stay focused and enjoy her skate. The trio will head into the free skate with momentum and genuine hopes of making history for their country.
American setbacks: amber glenn's error and Alysa Liu's near miss
The United States entered the event with high expectations but left the short program with mixed results. The reigning world champion, Alysa Liu, drew huge crowd reaction and produced a season-best score of 76. 59 despite losing some points for a triple lutz that was under-rotated — she landed slightly short on the rotation and took a step out, costing technical credit. Liu nevertheless energized the arena and remains in strong contention heading into the free skate.
By contrast, amber glenn suffered a devastating error. The 26-year-old missed her triple loop, which was judged as an invalid element and therefore scored zero points. The miss dropped her to 13th place and effectively ended her bid for an Olympic medal. Glenn was visibly upset and left the ice in tears. Her program had earlier included one of the night's other triple axels, and the routine had shown the ambition that had raised expectations for the Americans.
Field outlook and what comes next
Adeliia Petrosian, skating as an individual neutral athlete, sits fifth and remains a candidate to challenge the podium, while other contenders fought to secure places in the top 24. The top 24 competitors from the short program will advance to the free skate, which is scheduled for Thursday evening ET. Skaters who delivered strong short programs now aim to maintain composure, while others must deliver near-perfect free skates to climb the standings.
For Japan, the short program underlined depth and readiness, and their skaters will enter the free skate with realistic medal ambitions. For the U. S., the evening offered a reminder of the thin margins in elite figure skating: a single missed rotation can transform prospects and headlines. Amber glenn's error crystallised that reality and leaves her teammates carrying U. S. hopes into the decisive free skate.
