Alysa Liu takes women’s figure skating gold, becoming 1st American to win a medal since 2006
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The race for the top of the podium in women’s figure skating was a tight one between the United States and Japan as skaters took the ice at the Milano Skating Arena on Thursday.
But it was American Alysa Liu who won the gold.
Completing the podium were Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto winning silver and her teammate Ami Nakai with bronze.
Milano Cortina 2026 was a significant moment in Liu’s comeback to figure skating. After retiring from skating following the Beijing Winter Games in 2022 at only 16 years old, Liu returned to competing in 2024, taking the International Skating Union (ISU) world championship title in 2025.
Skating to MacArthur Park Suite by Donna Summer, Liu put on a show, with an energetic program to the disco-themed music, landing each of her jumps with authority and a smile.
Finishing her program with a flick of the hair, Liu came off the icing yelling to the camera, “That’s what I’m [explicit] talking about!”
“The big stage is where I’m most comfortable and that’s where I’m excited to be,” Liu told CBC Sports Devin Heroux.
Liu scored 150.20 in the free program for an overall score of 226.79 – a personal best – making her the first American skater to win an Olympic medal in women’s singles since 2006, and the first to win a gold medal since 2002.
Liu also won gold with the U.S. in the team event on Feb. 8.
American Alysa Liu ended a 24-year drought, by winning the Olympic figure skating women’s singles title at Milano Cortina 2026.
On ending the American medal drought in women’s figure skating, Liu said it wasn’t the hardware that restored the glory.
“It’s all of our performances and our attitude towards the sport and our love for the sport and our art,” she said.
Japan places 2nd-4th
In what was likely the final competitive skate of her career, Japan’s Sakamoto took to the ice for her free program, skating to a medley of La vie en rose, Non je ne regrette rien, Hymne a l’amour by Édith Piaf.
With only a small mistake, missing the second of one of her combination jumps, Sakamoto came off the ice filled with emotion, crying in her coach’s arms.
The beloved Japanese skater, who has said she will retire after these Games, scored 147.67 in the free program with an overall score of 224.90.
Sakamoto is a three-time world champion who came into these Olympic Games ranked No. 1 in the world, according to the ISU world rankings for this season.
Milano-Cortina is Sakamoto’s second Olympic Games, winning bronze in the women’s singles event and silver in the team event at Beijing in 2022. Sakamoto also won silver with Japan in the team event on Feb. 8.
In a surprise twist in the race for the podium, Sakamoto’s 17-year-old teammate Nakai of Japan rounded out the podium.
After finishing the short programs with a personal-best score in first place, Nakai came into the free programs with about a two-point lead over Liu, who finished in third.
Skating to What a Wonderful World by Lexi Walker and The Piano Guys, Nakai began her free program strong, landing a triple axel right off the top, but then stepping out of her combination triple toe.
Nakai scored 140.45 in the free program for an overall score of 219.16.
This is Nakai’s first Olympic Games, and her first season as a senior competitive athlete.
Finishing in fourth place was Japan’s Mone Chiba, who came into the Olympic competition ranked number two in the world.
Skating to Romeo and Juliet, the 21-year-old from Kyoto scored 143.88 in the free program and a personal-best overall score of 217.88.
Redemption for Amber Glenn
After she failed to execute a required triple loop leading to an invalid mark in the short program, American Amber Glenn fell from third to 12th place before the free program.
Glenn fought her way back up the rankings, landing a triple axel right off the top and skating a relatively clean program, punching the air after her final pose.
Glenn scored a seasons best of 147.52 and overall score of 214.91, also a season’s best.
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