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| Californian Alysa Liu skated a clean short program Tuesday at the Olympcs |
Alysa Liu sits in third place after a stellar short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, keeping American medal hopes alive on a night of mixed results for Team USA.
Skating to Laufey’s "Promise," the 20-year-old reigning world champion posted a season-high 76.59, trailing only Japan’s Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto.
“I am really happy about how I skated,” Liu told NBC. “I'm really glad I did super well. I felt super grounded, and I connected with my program on another level compared to the rest of the season.”
Liu, raised in Richmond, California, executed the most difficult jumping sequence of the night, a triple Lutz-triple loop combination.
While Liu delivered the "cleanest" performance of her season, she faces a narrow climb to the top of the podium. Finishing ahead of Liu is 17-year-old breakout star Ami Nakai (Japan) leads the field with a 78.71 after landing a massive triple Axel in her Olympic debut; and three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto (Japan) in second with 77.23, just 0.64 points ahead of Liu.
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Aksed if she could catch up to the Japanese skaters, Liu told NBC: “Whether I beat them or not is not my goal. My goal is just to do my programs and share my story. And I don't need to, I guess, be over or under anyone to do that.”
Since her return from a brief retirement, the reigning world champion Liu has been praised for her "creative expression," moving away from traditional scores toward more contemporary, edgy music like her current short program.
Liu is the lone "Blade Angel" in the top five. Teammates Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn finished in eighth and 13th place, respectively, after US champion Glenn suffered a costly error on her triple loop.
The women’s individual competition concludes with the free skate final on Thursday, February 19, where Liu will look to become the first American woman to win an individual Olympic medal in 20 years.
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