By DAVE SKRETTA
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 and Richmond native 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.
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.
ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS ALYSA. pic.twitter.com/FBmrpECyUK
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 17, 2026
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.
Related Articles
Ukraine skeleton racer Heraskevych gets $200,000 gift to support his career after Olympic DQ Elana Meyers Taylor nearly lost hope. Her team, her husband and the Spurs helped her to Olympic gold Russian woman carried Ukraine placard at Winter Olympics opening ceremony Madonna sends good luck message to American figure skater Amber Glenn at Olympics Slalom is Mikaela Shiffrin’s last shot at an Olympic medal in Italy. Good news? It’s her best event“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.
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 17: Alysa Liu of Team United States reacts in the Kiss and Cry zone after competing during the Women's Single Skating - Short Program on day eleven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 17, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Joosep Martinson/Getty Images)Hence then, the article about east bay star alysa liu in olympic medal position after short program other americans falter was published today ( ) and is available on mercury news ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( East Bay star Alysa Liu in Olympic medal position after short program; other Americans falter )
Also on site :