American Alysa Liu claimed gold in the women's singles figure skating at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, upstaging Japanese rivals Kaori Sakamoto for silver and Ami Nakai for bronze, with Mone Chiba in fourth. Liu, returning after retiring post-Beijing 2022, scored a career-best 226.79 points in a near-flawless free skate.
The free skate of the women's singles figure skating at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics took place on February 19, where American Alysa Liu secured gold. The 20-year-old Liu performed to Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park" in a glittering golden dress, earning 226.79 points for her near-flawless routine. She had retired after finishing sixth at the Beijing 2022 Games, then pursued adventures like reaching Mount Everest base camp and studying psychology at UCLA before her comeback.
Japan's Kaori Sakamoto took silver with 224.90 points, falling just short due to a missed jump combination in her program to Edith Piaf songs. Set to retire at the end of the season, Sakamoto said, "I really wanted to skate perfectly here... Knowing that I couldn’t... was painful. I couldn’t stop the tears." Reflecting on her journey from a Beijing 2022 bronze, she noted, "My bronze before felt like a miracle. The fact that I now feel frustrated with a silver medal shows how much I’ve grown."
Seventeen-year-old Ami Nakai earned bronze with 219.16 points. She led after the short program with a triple Axel but downgraded a triple-triple combination to a triple-double in the free skate. "At first, I didn’t even think I’d be able to compete in the Olympics, and now I’ve won a bronze medal, it still doesn’t feel real," Nakai said. "I started skating because I loved the sport... and now I was able to fully express my love for skating on the Olympic stage." She added of Sakamoto, "I’ve seen Kaori’s hard work, so when I saw her performance, I felt very sad... From now on, I want to become a skater like Kaori."
Mone Chiba finished fourth in her Olympic debut, saying, "I feel like even though I gave it my all, I still fell short... I’ll keep this feeling in mind and carry it forward... with a view to the World Championships."
Sakamoto praised her teammates, stating Japan's figure skating will strengthen and she hopes to return as a coach for future gold medalists. The medals mark Japan's 100th overall at the Winter Olympics. Liu's win is the first U.S. women's singles Olympic gold in 24 years, since Sarah Hughes in 2002.
