Oakland's Alysa Liu aims for U.S. gold in women's figure skating final

Liu trails Japanese skaters Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto heading into the free skate at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Alysa Liu of Oakland, California is the last American skater with a legitimate shot at the Olympic gold medal in women's figure skating as the competition heads into the final free skate event at the Milan Cortina Games. Liu trails Japanese teammates Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto, who are favored to sweep the podium, along with young Russian skater Adeliia Petrosian, who could shake up the competition with a quad jump.

Why it matters

Liu's performance could end a long drought for American women in Olympic figure skating, with the U.S. last winning gold in 2002. The competition also features a potential historic podium sweep for Japan, as well as the return of Russian skaters to the global stage after a ban.

The details

Nakai, the 17-year-old Japanese sensation, leads the competition after landing one of only two triple axels in the short program. Sakamoto, the 25-year-old bronze medalist from Beijing, trails Nakai by just a point and is seeking her first Olympic gold in her final Games. Chiba, the world bronze medalist, is also in contention for Japan. Liu, 20, is the only non-Japanese skater currently in the top four, sitting two points behind Nakai. Petrosian, an 18-year-old Russian competing as a neutral athlete, could shake up the competition with her ability to land a quad jump.

  • The women's figure skating free skate final will take place on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
  • Nakai landed one of only two triple axels in the short program on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

The players

Alysa Liu

A 20-year-old figure skater from Oakland, California who is the last American with a legitimate shot at the Olympic gold medal.

Ami Nakai

A 17-year-old Japanese figure skater who leads the competition after the short program.

Kaori Sakamoto

A 25-year-old Japanese figure skater and the bronze medalist from the 2022 Beijing Olympics, currently in second place.

Mone Chiba

A Japanese figure skater and the world bronze medalist who is also in contention for a medal.

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 (nbcbayarea.com)

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

— Mone Chiba (nbcbayarea.com)

“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 (nbcbayarea.com)

What’s next

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

The takeaway

This competition features a potential historic podium sweep for Japan, the return of Russian skaters to the global stage, and the last American hope in Alysa Liu to end a long drought for U.S. women in Olympic figure skating.