Alysa Liu surges into medal range as US teammates stumble in Olympic short program

By: Dave Skretta, The Associated Press Posted: 4:56 PM CST Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026

MILAN (AP) — Alysa Liu is left to carry the hopes of the “Blade Angels” into the women's free skate at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

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MILAN (AP) — Alysa Liu is left to carry the hopes of the “Blade Angels” into the women's free skate at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

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MILAN (AP) — Alysa Liu is left to carry the hopes of the “Blade Angels” into the women’s free skate at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The reigning world champion delivered a stellar short program that featured a triple lutz-triple loop, the hardest combination that any woman tried Tuesday night, and sat two points back of Japan’s Ami Nakai and right behind Kaori Sakamoto on the leaderboard.

Things didn’t go nearly as well for the rest of the American team in the individual event.

Alysa Liu of the United States competes during the women's short program figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Isabeau Levito was dinged for under-rotating her triple loop and got leveled down for her step sequence, which is where she tends to pick up points on the competition. It left her in eighth place and a long shot to climb her way onto the podium Thursday night.

Amber Glenn, the three-time reigning U.S. champion, was right in the mix until her final jump.

After landing a huge opening triple axel — Glenn and Nakai were the only ones in the women’s field to attempt the 3 1/2-revolution jump — she kept the momentum going with a triple flip-triple toe loop. But something seemed amiss as Glenn approached her triple loop, and she wound up bailing out of it. The resulting double loop became an invalid element and earned her no points.

The lost points on the jump, somewhere in the range of seven or eight, was the difference in being a contender entering the free skate.

“I had it,” Glenn told her coach, Damon Allen, as she tried to hold back the tears stepping off the ice.

Alysa Liu of the United States reacts to her score after competing in the women's short program in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

“It’s not over,” he replied.

It was not the way Glenn wanted to end a night that began with the euphoria of a message from Madonna, the “Queen of Pop,” whose song “Like A Prayer” serves as the soundtrack to her free skate. Madonna had seen a clip of the short program and sent a video to Glenn, telling her, “Go get that gold.”

Glenn already has one from the team event on the opening weekend of the Winter Games. Liu also has one from that event.

Now, it’s up to Liu if the Americans are going to bring home a medal from the individual event.

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