Alysa Liu Headlines women's single skating olympics With Joyful Return; Amber Glenn Surges

At the Milano Ice Skating Arena, Alysa Liu has reappeared on the Olympic stage on her own terms, skating the short program with a buoyant presence and entering Thursday's free skate in third overall. The reigning world champion’s return after a two-year break — and a decision to take full control of her career — has become one of the defining narratives of the women's single skating olympics, even as teammate Amber Glenn delivered a dramatic comeback in the free skate.

Liu’s comeback is as much personal as competitive

Now 20, Liu walked onto the ice at the Games with a markedly different posture than in her early teens. Once the youngest U. S. national champion and the product of intense parental management, she stepped away from the sport at 16. Her return has been conditioned by a single rule: she would call the shots. That change in dynamic — removing her father from management of her career — is central to why she came back.

On the ice for the short program warm-up, Liu was noted for a visibly joyful, outgoing demeanor. Rather than the laser-focused isolation many competitors adopt before a major program, she joked with teammates, waved to friends in the stands and beamed at family members when she spotted them. The performance left her in third place going into the free skate, putting her in contention for a medal at her second Olympics. "That just doesn’t seem like a horrible situation, " she said when asked how she would feel if she left the Games without a podium finish. She has positioned herself as the director of her own skating "movie, " responsible for performance choices and personal direction.

Her competitive slot is favorable: Liu is scheduled to skate third to last in the free skate and was slated to take the ice at 4: 32 p. m. ET on Thursday, with Japan’s Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto set to follow. The order and timing mean Liu will face immediate pressure to deliver a clean long program in a contest stacked with technically bold rivals.

Amber Glenn’s free skate lifts the leaderboard and the mood

Two days after a difficult short program left her outside the top contenders, Amber Glenn staged an emotional rebound. The 26-year-old produced a free skate highlighted by a spectacular triple Axel that opened her program and drew strong technical marks. Her free skate score reached a season-best 147. 52, bringing her total to 214. 91 and a memorable climb from her earlier position.

Glenn’s performance was a declaration of intent and of personal fulfillment: after struggling in the short program, she said her goal was to recapture joy on the ice and savour the Olympic experience. When she finished her free skate, she gave her signature fist pump and celebrated in the Kiss-and-Cry area, audible as she expressed simple relief: "I’m at the Olympics. I didn’t fall. I didn’t fall at the Olympics. " The rebound underscored how quickly fortunes can change in this event and added fresh drama to the medal chase.

What Thursday’s free skate will decide

The free skate — approximately four minutes in length, plus or minus 10 seconds — will decide the final standings. For Liu, the contest is both competitive and symbolic: medaling would mark a triumphant chapter for an athlete who left the sport to reclaim it on her conditions. For Glenn, the free skate offered a late reminder that resilience matters as much as technical content; her triple Axel and season-best numbers shifted expectations and momentum.

With Liu skating near the end of the program rotation at 4: 32 p. m. ET and other top contenders following her, the session promises a tense finish. Medals in women's Olympic singles have often hinged on small technical margins and emotional steadiness under the lights — and this edition of the competition has already delivered both.

As the field prepares for the decisive long programs, the headlines are clear: Liu has returned with autonomy and visible joy, while Glenn has reasserted her technical firepower. Both developments will be central to how the women's single skating olympics conclude later Thursday in Milan.