Alysa Liu Leads US Charge Toward Olympic Podium as Teammates Fall Short in Milan

Liu finished in third place during the individual short program on Feb. 17.

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

Figure skater Alysa Liu is on track for a second Olympic medal after a strong performance during the women’s individual program, as her teammates fell short in the competition.

The 20-year-old reigning world champion delivered a polished routine during the Feb. 17 event at the 2026 Milan Cortina games and is the only American to finish in the top six.

“I do wish I was out there longer just to take in the moment some more,” Liu told NBC’s Andrea Joyce after the event. “It was a great feeling.”

Liu placed third, receiving the highest score among the team USA skaters with 76.59 points. Japan’s Ami Nakai and teammate Kaori Sakamoto secured the top two spots, with Nakai landing 78.71 points and Sakamoto 77.23.

“I’m really confident in myself,” Liu told Joyce when asked how she tackles her nerves. “Even if I mess up and fall that’s totally okay too. I’m fine with any outcome as long as I’m out there, so there’s nothing to lose.”

Skating to her fan-favorite short program song “Promise” by Laufey, Liu’s performance now gives her the chance at an individual Olympic medal after winning gold in the team event on Feb. 8.

The second-time Olympian is slated to participate in the women’s free skate on Feb. 19. The last medal awarded to the United States in the event was to Sasha Cohen, who took home silver in 2006.

Her teammates, dubbed the “Blade Angels,” saw a different outcome, however, with 18-year-old Isabeau Levito earning 70.84 points for the eighth-place title during the competition.

Levito, the youngest member of Team USA’s figure skating team, delivered a clean routine to a Sophia Loren medley and “Cinema Paradiso” by Ennio Morricone, but lost some points for under-rotation calls.

Meanwhile, Amber Glenn, a first-time Olympian and three-time U.S. champion, placed 13th with a score of 67.39 at the end of the night. During her routine, she landed a triple axel but missed her triple loop, leaving her emotional as it impacted her score.

“She’s gone through so much and she works so ... hard, like genuinely, such a hard worker and she’s overcome a lot,” Liu told reporters following the program.

“I just want her to be happy. That’s genuinely all I want. And so I’ll be seeing her later, don’t worry guys. We’ll stick together.”

Just before Glenn hit the ice, the 26-year-old received a message of support from the “Queen of Pop,” Madonna, who wished her luck and offered words of encouragement.

“You are an incredible skater,” Madonna told Glenn in a video. “So strong, so beautiful, so brave. I can’t imagine that you would not win. So I just want to say good luck. Go get that gold.”

Glenn skated to the singer’s 1989 hit “Like A Prayer” during the competition while also wearing a dress inspired by the pop icon.

Madonna wasn’t the only celebrity support that Glenn and her teammates received during the Olympics. Pop superstar Taylor Swift recently highlighted the skaters with a voice-over during an NBC spot.

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the name of the youngest member of Team USA’s figure skating team in one instance and the element Amber Glenn missed. The Epoch Times regrets the errors.