Ami Nakai tops short program as amber glenn's medal bid ends at Milan-Cortina 2026
Japan seized control of 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. For Amber Glenn, a costly error left her well outside the medal positions and effectively ended her chances ahead of the free skate.
Japan dominate the leaderboard
Nakai delivered a composed, high-scoring routine that vaulted her to the top of the standings with a season-best 78. 71. Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto followed closely in second with a strong outing, while Mone Chiba — last year’s world bronze medallist — sat fourth, giving Japan three of the top four positions after the short program. The Japanese skaters combined technical ambition and crisp presentation, leaving them well placed going into the free skate on Thursday evening (ET).
Americans falter; Amber Glenn’s mistake proves decisive
The favored American contingent had mixed fortunes. Alysa Liu managed to keep herself in medal contention with an energetic performance that thrilled the crowd, but she lost ground on a triple lutz that was under-rotated, costing valuable points and leaving her third at the break. By contrast, Amber Glenn suffered a dramatic setback. Glenn, 26, who skated to a pop-inflected program that had earlier generated excitement, missed her triple loop attempt. The element was ruled invalid and scored zero, a penalty that plunged her down the standings. Emotionally shaken, Glenn left the ice in tears and sits 13th overall — outside the top 24 cutoff for the free skate — extinguishing her hopes of an Olympic podium this week.
Who moves forward and what to watch in the free skate
The top 24 after the short program will progress to the free skate and the final medal decisions on Thursday evening (ET). Among those advancing is Adeliia Petrosian, the national champion competing as an independent entrant, who holds fifth place after a clean technical display. Not every veteran made the cut: Britain’s Kristen Spours finished 29th and will not skate in the free program, bringing an emotional end to her competitive career.
Thursday’s free skate will be decisive. Japan’s strong positioning gives its skaters a clear path to challenge for multiple podium places, but the field remains open — errors in the long program can overturn short-program standings. For the Americans, the task is to regroup after a day of missed opportunities and to deliver clean, high-scoring free skates if they are to break a multi-decade medal drought in the event. For Amber Glenn, the priority now is recovery and reflection after a night that ended far from the medal picture.
