isabeau levito part of Team USA's 'Blade Angels' as women's free skate headlines Thursday — how to watch
The final chapter of Olympic women's figure skating arrives Thursday, Feb. 19, when the long program (free skate) crowns a champion. Team USA will be represented by a trio nicknamed the "Blade Angels" — Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito — all of whom will take the ice in the free skate. The event opens with warm-ups in the morning and continues with the full free skate beginning at 1 p. m. ET.
When to tune in and viewing windows (all times ET)
The women's free skate is scheduled to begin at 1 p. m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 19. Look for warm-up groups starting at 10: 30 a. m. ET the same day. A late-night re-air of the free skate is slated for 1: 30 a. m. ET for those who miss the midday coverage. Fans should check their local listings or the live sports options in their TV or streaming bundle for exact access in their area.
With the Olympic event format, the short program standings set the scene but the free skate often reshuffles the leaderboard. Expect extended coverage around the long program window — pre-event build-up, live skating and post-event reactions — so allow extra time around the listed start to catch warm-ups and expert analysis.
Team USA lineup and stakes for Isabeau Levito and teammates
Team USA brings three strong contenders. Alysa Liu sits on the short program podium and will skate from a top position; her free skate last season helped her claim a world title, and she remains a clear medal threat if she reproduces that level. Amber Glenn showed technical punch earlier in the Games but doubled a planned triple loop in the short program and heads into the long program looking to regain momentum. Isabeau Levito completes the U. S. trio; she and her teammates have been collectively dubbed the "Blade Angels" and will be counted on to deliver clean, high-scoring free skates.
The free skate offers more scoring potential than the short program, so all three Americans have a realistic chance to move up. For Levito, the free skate is a platform to build on season-long progress and contribute to a strong U. S. showing in the final event of the sport at these Games.
Key contenders, technical storylines and what to watch
Japan's young standout who landed a triple Axel in the short program leads the field into the long program, while a veteran three-time world champion sits close behind. The free skate could hand the title to any skater who can combine high-end technical content — quads and triple-triple combinations — with composure and clean execution.
Keep an eye on attempts at multiple quadruple jumps from skaters who have listed them in practice plans; when they land cleanly, they massively change medal math. Also watch for clean execution of triple Axels and fully rotated triple-triple combinations, as those elements carry major base value and positive grade-of-execution boosts. For skaters who struggled in the short program, the long program is the chance for redemption, while those already near the top must skate with precision to avoid being overtaken.
For fans planning to watch, arrive early for warm-ups at 10: 30 a. m. ET to see how the competitors are shaping up that day. The long program beginning at 1 p. m. ET will determine the Olympic medalists in women's singles and complete the figure skating schedule at these Winter Games.
This is the final event of the sport at these Games and the stakes are high: expect an emotional, technically charged free skate where every jump, spin and component score could decide Olympic history.
