How to watch Team USA compete in the women free skating 2026 at the Winter Olympics
The women's singles competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics reaches its climax on Thursday, Feb. 19, when the free skate will determine the podium. After the short program, Japan's Ami Nakai sits atop the standings, with Kaori Sakamoto close behind and U. S. world champion Alysa Liu in third. Team USA's trio — Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito — will all take the ice in the free skate, giving fans a high-stakes finish to the figure skating schedule in Milan Cortina.
What to watch in the free skate
The free skate is where medals are won and where leaderboards often flip. Nakai enters with momentum after a short program that included a triple Axel and a triple-Lutz-triple-toe-loop combination, a display of technical range rare for a 17-year-old. Sakamoto, a veteran and multiple world champion, brings consistency and emotional strength, skating what she has called her final competitive season. Liu, meanwhile, offers a blend of technical ambition and artistry; if she recreates the level of performance that earned her a world title, she has every chance to remain on the podium.
A number of contenders beyond the current top three can reshuffle the standings. Adeliya Petrosian has the potential to challenge for gold if she lands multiple quadruple jumps, though injuries and inconsistent quad reps this season make that a high-risk, high-reward plan. Mone Chiba and Anastasiia Gubanova are also within striking distance if they deliver clean, powerful free skates. The free skate's longer program and higher base value create opportunities for dramatic gains — and equally dramatic drops — depending on the execution of key jump elements.
Team USA's outlook and storylines
The U. S. contingent arrives with a mix of experience and promise. Alysa Liu is the most decorated in terms of recent international results and her short program suggested she remains among the global leaders technically and artistically. Isabeau Levito offers a strong senior-level résumé and the capacity to post a high-scoring free skate that could vault her into medal contention. Amber Glenn showed elite moments in the short program but was hampered by an element error that left her outside the top group; a clean free skate would dramatically improve her placement.
Collectively known by fans as the "Blade Angels, " the three Americans will represent a focused mission: maximize technical content while delivering the kind of component scores that win over judges. For U. S. supporters the questions are straightforward — can Liu translate her world-championship form to the Olympic free skate, which skater will best handle the pressure, and will any of the Americans land the high-difficulty elements that make the podium possible?
Broadcast and schedule details (all times ET)
The women's free skate is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 19, with live coverage beginning at 1 p. m. ET. Warm-ups for the free skate will be available earlier in the morning, starting at 10: 30 a. m. ET. A late re‑air of the event will run at 1: 30 a. m. ET following the evening slate. The entirety of the free skate will be made available for streaming, and viewers should check local listings or their chosen sports services for availability and channel details.
Expect a tense, tactical competition where technical ambition meets Olympic pressure. Whether the podium stays with the short-program leaders or surprises emerge from below, Thursday's free skate will decide the final medal placements and close out the figure skating program for these Games.
