The 2026 Winter Olympics women’s single skating free skating final delivered a result 24 years in the making. Alysa Liu rallied from third place to win gold for the United States in Milan on February 19. Her 150.20 free skate locked in a career-best total and ended a long American medal drought.
Key Takeaways
- Alysa Liu (USA) won gold with a 226.79 total, the first U.S. women’s singles title since 2002.
- Kaori Sakamoto took silver (224.90) in the final event of her career, and Ami Nakai claimed bronze (219.16).
- It was the first women’s Olympic gold not won by a Russian skater since 2010.
Who stood on the podium?
Our read of the segment scores shows how thin the margins were.
Liu’s total beat Sakamoto by just 1.89 points.
A single missed jump decided the gold medal.
| Medal | Skater | Nation | Free Skate | Total |
| Gold | Alysa Liu | United States | 150.20 | 226.79 |
| Silver | Kaori Sakamoto | Japan | 147.67 | 224.90 |
| Bronze | Ami Nakai | Japan | 140.45 | 219.16 |
How did the free skating scores stack up?
The free skating segment had a twist.
Amber Glenn recorded the third-best free skate of the night but had started too far back to reach the podium.
These are the top free skate scores, per the International Skating Union.
| Pl. | Skater | Nation | Free Skate |
| 1 | Alysa Liu | United States | 150.20 |
| 2 | Kaori Sakamoto | Japan | 147.67 |
| 3 | Amber Glenn | United States | 147.52 |
| 4 | Mone Chiba | Japan | 143.88 |
| 5 | Adeliia Petrosian | Neutral Athlete | 141.64 |
| 6 | Niina Petrokina | Estonia | 141.19 |
What did the final standings look like?
Here is the combined picture after both programs, via Olympics.com.
| Rank | Skater | Nation | Short | Free | Total |
| 1 | Alysa Liu | United States | 76.59 | 150.20 | 226.79 |
| 2 | Kaori Sakamoto | Japan | 77.23 | 147.67 | 224.90 |
| 3 | Ami Nakai | Japan | 78.71 | 140.45 | 219.16 |
| 4 | Mone Chiba | Japan | 74.00 | 143.88 | 217.88 |
| 5 | Amber Glenn | United States | 67.39 | 147.52 | 214.91 |
| 6 | Adeliia Petrosian | Neutral Athlete | 72.89 | 141.64 | 214.53 |
| 7 | Niina Petrokina | Estonia | 69.63 | 141.19 | 210.82 |
| 8 | Lee Hae-in | South Korea | 70.07 | 140.49 | 210.56 |
| 9 | Anastasiia Gubanova | Georgia | 71.77 | 138.22 | 209.99 |
| 10 | Sofia Samodelkina | Kazakhstan | 68.47 | 138.99 | 207.46 |
What does this mean for Team USA?
- The three U.S. skaters, nicknamed the Blade Angels, all entered the free skate as medal threats, per NBC Olympics.
- Alysa Liu delivered gold and added to the team event title she had already won in Milan.
- Amber Glenn surged from 13th to 5th, the biggest climb in the field.
- Isabeau Levito finished 12th overall after a difficult free skate.
How was the gold decided?
Sakamoto, a three-time world champion, had announced her retirement before the season, per CBS News.
An awkward landing on her triple flip forced her to drop a planned combination.
That lost jump was worth more than the 1.89 points between her and Liu.
The numbers behind the result
- First U.S. women’s singles gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002.
- First U.S. women’s singles medal since Sasha Cohen in 2006.
- First women’s gold not won by a Russian skater since 2010.
- No woman landed a quadruple jump in the final.
If you have been following Olympic figure skating, Liu’s comeback will not feel like a fluke.
It caps a steady rise since her return to the sport in 2024.
More Sports Coverage from Atholton News
- Knicks vs. Boston Celtics: match player stats
- Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns: match player stats
- Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: match player stats
- Knicks vs. Pacers: match player stats
- Atholton Raiders vs. Largo Lions
Sources
Olympics.com • International Skating Union • NBC Olympics • CBS News • Associated Press
For More Latest Updates Atholton News