U.S. women's figure skating medal hopes rest on Alysa Liu's shoulders

Of the three U.S. figure skating "Blade Angels," only Alysa Liu has a realistic chance at ending up with a medal.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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After the short program, the U.S. women's figure skating team is down to one realistic medal contender, Alysa Liu, who sits in third place behind the top two Japanese skaters. Isabeau Levito is in eighth and Amber Glenn is in 13th after a big mistake. Liu is about two points behind the leaders, so she has a shot at the podium in the long program on Thursday.

Why it matters

Women's figure skating is one of the marquee events of the Winter Olympics, drawing huge interest and attention. The U.S. has a storied history of success in the event, with past gold medalists like Dorothy Hamill, Kristi Yamaguchi, Tara Lipinski and Sarah Hughes. This year, the "Blade Angels" trio of Liu, Levito and Glenn were touted as the U.S. medal hopes, but only Liu remains in contention after the short program.

The details

After the short program, Alysa Liu is in third place, about two points behind the top two Japanese skaters. Isabeau Levito is in eighth and Amber Glenn is in 13th after a big mistake that took her out of medal contention. Liu has a realistic shot at the podium in the long program on Thursday.

  • The short program was on Wednesday.
  • The long program is on Thursday.

The players

Alysa Liu

One of the three U.S. figure skating "Blade Angels" who has a realistic chance at a medal at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Isabeau Levito

One of the three U.S. figure skating "Blade Angels" who is currently in eighth place after the short program.

Amber Glenn

One of the three U.S. figure skating "Blade Angels" who is currently in 13th place after a big mistake in the short program.

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What’s next

The long program is on Thursday, where Liu will look to make a push for a medal.

The takeaway

The U.S. women's figure skating team is down to one realistic medal contender in Alysa Liu, as the other two "Blade Angels," Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn, fell out of medal contention after the short program. Liu's performance in the long program on Thursday will be crucial in determining if the U.S. can end up with a figure skating medal at these Olympics.