womens figure skating medals: Liu leads short program as Americans regroup before free skate
After the short program in Milan, Alysa Liu emerged as the leading American contender for womens figure skating medals, posting a 76. 59 and leaving Team USA in contention heading into the free skate. Two Japanese skaters hold the top spots, and teammates Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn face contrasting fortunes as the free skate looms on Thursday (all times ET).
Short program snapshot: clean lines, costly error
Liu delivered a composed performance that blended difficult jumping passes with clean presentation, highlighted by a triple lutz–triple loop combination that earned strong technical and component marks. Her 76. 59 places her squarely in medal conversation, though she trails the night’s leaders: Ami Nakai (78. 71) and Kaori Sakamoto (77. 23). Both of those skaters produced slightly higher overall totals after their short programs, leaving Liu with work to do but also momentum.
Isabeau Levito made a polished Olympic debut, enchanting the crowd with elegant spins and strong extensions that left her in eighth place. Levito showed poise under pressure and will aim to climb the standings in the free skate, where higher base-value elements and endurance can shift the leaderboard significantly.
Amber Glenn’s short program was an emotional swing. She executed a clean triple axel — one of the most difficult jumps in the sport — but later under-rotated a loop, landing a double loop where a triple was required. That element was marked invalid and scored zero, a devastating outcome that dropped Glenn to 13th. She left the ice visibly shaken, embracing her coach and shedding tears at center ice. The error underscores the razor-thin margins at this level: high reward for difficulty, but equally punishing consequences for mistakes.
Medal outlook: balance of risk and consistency
With the short program complete, the path to womens figure skating medals is still wide open. Liu’s combination of technical difficulty and calm execution makes her the strongest American threat; her post-skate comments reflected a steady mindset, emphasizing confidence and acceptance of any result as long as she delivered her best on the ice.
The two skaters ahead of Liu carry narrow leads, and the free skate’s longer format offers opportunities for movement. Skaters who can combine high-difficulty jump content — including triple axels and quad rotations where attempted — with clean landings and strong program components will climb fastest. For Americans, the key will be converting ambition into clean performances: Levin and Glenn must capitalize on their strengths and avoid costly errors to contend for podium spots.
History also adds context to the pressure: an American woman has not captured Olympic gold in singles in more than two decades, which amplifies both the expectation and the opportunity for the U. S. contingent. The free skate will decide whether that drought can be challenged or if podium chances favor the leaders who delivered the night’s top short programs.
What to watch in the free skate
Thursday’s free skate (all times ET) will reward endurance, technical breadth and artistic consistency. Expect skaters to lay out higher base-value jump plans — and, for some, to choose between securing a clean skate and attempting match-changing elements. Athletes chasing the podium will likely open with their highest-scoring content, while those in need of a climb may take greater risks.
Beyond individual results, the short program left a ripple of drama across the broader Winter Games competition schedule: other U. S. squads and athletes have faced both triumphs and upsets in their events, illustrating how results across disciplines can turn a single night into a shifting landscape of expectations and morale for national teams.
For Team USA’s women, Thursday is the decisive day. Clean execution, strategic element selection and composure under a medal spotlight will determine who finishes the job and who will leave with lessons for the next cycle.
