A Historic Night in Women’s Figure Skating
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Womens figure skating olympics 2026 — What just happened in the short program?
The women’s singles event opened with a short program that instantly became a headline machine. Ami Nakai (Japan) delivered a poised Olympic debut and hit a triple Axel, posting 78.71 to take the lead.
Right behind her: Kaori Sakamoto (Japan) at 77.23, and Alysa Liu (USA) at 76.59 — close enough that the free skate can completely reshuffle medals.
What makes this especially spicy is depth: Japan placed three skaters in the top four after the short program (Nakai, Sakamoto, Mone Chiba).
Womens single figure skating olympics schedule — When is women free skating 2026?
If you’re tracking womens free skate olympics 2026, the key detail is simple:
- Women’s Short Program: Tuesday, Feb 17, 2026
- Women’s Free Skate: Thursday, Feb 19, 2026 (the medal decider)
You can verify timing and session details via the official Olympic schedule and ISU schedule pages.
Womens singles figure skating olympics 2026 — Short Program Scorecard (standings table)
Here’s the “bookmark this” table — the most-searched part of any Olympic figure skating story.
Women’s Singles — Short Program Standings (Top 13)
| Rank | Skater | Nation | Short Program Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ami Nakai | JPN | 78.71 |
| 2 | Kaori Sakamoto | JPN | 77.23 |
| 3 | Alysa Liu | USA | 76.59 |
| 4 | Mone Chiba | JPN | 74.00 |
| 5 | Adeliia Petrosian | AIN | 72.89 |
| 6 | Anastasiia Gubanova | GEO | 71.77 |
| 7 | Loena Hendrickx | BEL | 70.93 |
| 8 | Isabeau Levito | USA | 70.84 |
| 9 | Lee Hae-in | KOR | 70.07 |
| 10 | Niina Petrõkina | EST | 69.63 |
| 11 | Nina Pinzarrone | BEL | 68.97 |
| 12 | Sofia Samodelkina | KAZ | 68.47 |
| 13 | Amber Glenn | USA | 67.39 |
Context that matters: The free skate is where the biggest point swings happen — it’s longer, heavier in total points, and punishes one popped jump more brutally than fans expect.
What makes Ami Nakai “history-level” in figure skating womens singles 2026?
Nakai’s short program wasn’t just clean — it was culturally loud in skating terms:
- Landing a triple Axel at this stage is still rare in women’s singles on the biggest stage.
- She didn’t skate like someone “trying to survive the Olympics.” She skated like someone who belonged at the top.
NBC’s coverage emphasized how unexpected her lead was compared to pre-event predictions (Japan leading wasn’t shocking; Nakai leading was).
Alysa Liu’s path — how she can win medals in womens figure skating olympics 2026
Alysa Liu sits third, but third after the short program is basically “one great free skate away” from anything. The key is what she does under pressure in the second half of the event.
Important storyline detail from NBC coverage:
- Liu has already been a major factor for Team USA at these Games and entered women’s singles with real momentum and belief.
What Liu needs to medal (realistically):
- A clean or near-clean jumping layout (avoid a doubled or popped planned triple)
- Strong GOE (quality) on key elements
- Enough component scores to stay within striking range of Japan’s top two
In plain terms: if the leaders leave the door open even slightly, Liu is the skater best positioned to kick it in.
Kaori Sakamoto — the “pressure proof” threat
If you want the smartest “experience matters” pick in womens singles figure skating olympics 2026, it’s Sakamoto.
Time’s reporting highlighted both her reliability and the fact that this is her Olympic endgame — which often produces the best (or most ruthless) free skates of a career.
Her advantage: she can win without chasing ultra-risk content — by being clean, fast, and unshakeable.
women free skating 2026 — The chaos factors that can flip medals
This is why the free skate will trend hard on Google:
1) The “quad wildcard”
Adeliia Petrosian (AIN) sits close enough that high-risk content (like a quad attempt) could produce a massive technical jump — or a score collapse.
2) The “Japan sweep” possibility
With three Japanese skaters in the top four, the medal math allows a scenario where Japan leaves with multiple medals — potentially even all three if the free skate breaks right.
3) The “one mistake = 6 places” reality
A popped jump can turn planned points into near-zero value. That’s exactly why the short program already produced emotional swings (including Amber Glenn’s painful drop to 13th).
Medal Predictions for womens figure skating olympics 2026 (best scenarios)
Let’s do this in the most useful way: if-then medal logic, not vague hype.
🥇 Gold: Ami Nakai (JPN) — if she skates “clean enough”
- Wins gold if: she stays upright, lands most of her planned content, and avoids a major under-rotation chain.
- Why: she already owns the lead, and her short program showed she can deliver under Olympic noise.
🥈 Silver: Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) — the “highest floor”
- Wins silver if: she’s clean and Nakai is also solid.
- Wins gold if: she’s clean and Nakai makes a costly mistake.
- Why: she’s within 1.48 points — basically nothing in free-skate terms.
🥉 Bronze: Alysa Liu (USA) — the “best positioned pouncer”
- Wins bronze if: she’s clean and holds off the chasing pack.
- Wins silver/gold if: one or both Japanese leaders leave the door open.
- Why: her short program score keeps her attached to the top two.
My podium projection (pre-free skate):
- Ami Nakai
- Kaori Sakamoto
- Alysa Liu
(But this is the Olympics — and the free skate is built to punish predictions.)
Winter Olympics medals — why this event matters beyond figure skating
The women’s singles final isn’t just a skating story — it’s a medal-table energy boost for nations that are already chasing big narratives across the Games. Broad Olympic coverage has emphasized how key star results and momentum can shift attention (and pressure) across Team USA, host-nation Italy storylines, and Japan’s overall performance at Milano Cortina.
How to watch the womens free skate olympics 2026 final
Broadcasters and streaming options vary by region, but NBC’s local station pages and Olympics coverage explain where the women’s free skate will air/stream and when it begins.
Sources:
TIME — Women’s short program context + contenders: https://time.com/7379307/olympics-figure-skating-women-2026-results-short-program/
ISU — Short program recap (Nakai triple Axel lead): https://isu-skating.com/figure-skating/news/ami-nakai-hits-triple-axel-to-top-phenomenal-womens-short-program/
NBC Los Angeles — Final preview + how to watch info: https://www.nbclosangeles.com/olympics/2026-milan-cortina/womens-figure-skating-final-date-time-channel-stream/3849599/
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