Alysa Liu leads US medal hopes in women's free skate at Milan Cortina Olympics

Japanese skaters Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto are the favorites, but 20-year-old American Liu is in the mix for a podium finish.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Alysa Liu of the United States is in contention for a medal in the women's figure skating free skate at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Liu, the 2025 world champion, is two points behind the leading Japanese skaters Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto. The competition also features Mone Chiba of Japan and the young Russian skater Adeliia Petrosian, who could shake up the event with her ability to land a quad jump.

Why it matters

The women's figure skating event at the Winter Olympics is always a marquee event, and the United States is hoping to end a long drought for American women on the podium. Liu's performance could determine whether the U.S. ends that drought, which dates back to Sarah Hughes' gold medal in 2002.

The details

Nakai, the 17-year-old Japanese prodigy, leads the competition after a brilliant short program that included two triple axels. Her teammate Sakamoto, the 2022 Olympic bronze medalist, is just a point behind in what is likely her final Olympics. Chiba of Japan is also firmly in the mix, while the young Russian skater Petrosian could shake up the competition with her ability to land a quad jump.

  • The women's figure skating free skate will take place on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
  • Nakai will be the final skater to take the ice.

The players

Alysa Liu

A 20-year-old American figure skater who is the 2025 world champion and is in contention for a medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Ami Nakai

A 17-year-old Japanese figure skater who leads the competition after a brilliant short program that included two triple axels.

Kaori Sakamoto

A 25-year-old Japanese figure skater who is the 2022 Olympic bronze medalist and is just a point behind Nakai in the competition, which is likely her final Olympics.

Mone Chiba

A Japanese figure skater who is a world bronze medalist and is firmly in the mix for a medal in Milan.

Adeliia Petrosian

An 18-year-old Russian figure skater competing as a neutral athlete who could shake up the competition with her ability to land a quad jump.

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What they’re saying

“Of course I want a medal. It would be very nice. But I want to let everybody know what I've done over my career. I want people to know that there was a skater of this kind in Japan who had performed for a long period.”

— Kaori Sakamoto, Japanese figure skater (Associated Press)

“Being in Italy, with the music 'Romeo and Juliet,' I hope to skate as well as possible, and see how things are.”

— Mone Chiba, Japanese figure skater (Associated Press)

“At first I was worried, not about my skate, but about my (emotional) state. This was the most important start of my life. I hope this will help me with my free skate.”

— Adeliia Petrosian, Russian figure skater (Associated Press)

What’s next

The women's figure skating free skate will take place on Thursday, February 19, 2026, where the medalists will be determined.

The takeaway

The women's figure skating event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan features a talented and diverse field, with the Japanese skaters Nakai and Sakamoto leading the way, but the young American Alysa Liu and the Russian Petrosian posing serious threats to their chances of gold and silver.