For Alysa Liu, competition is just ‘pure enjoyment’ – NBC Olympics

Lead

At the Milano Ice Skating Arena during the Olympic short program, reigning world champion Alysa Liu prioritized the pleasure of skating over scoreboard anxiety, offering comfort to a distressed teammate while sitting third after the short. Amber Glenn, the three-time U.S. champion, dropped to 13th after a costly error on a preferred jump and was visibly upset the next day. Liu, 17-year-old Ami Nakai of Japan and other top contenders set up a tense free skate where medals remain undecided. The scene mixed individual ambition with moments of sportsmanship and a reminder that in Olympic skating, standings can still shift dramatically.

Key Takeaways

• Alysa Liu finished the short program in third place, 2.12 points behind leader Ami Nakai of Japan.
• Ami Nakai, 17, leads after the short program and posted a personal-best score in the segment despite being a first-year senior internationally.
• Amber Glenn, the three-time U.S. champion, fell to 13th after a reduced jump that earned no credit, leaving her more than nine points from third place.
• Isabeau Levito stood eighth after the short program with a score of 70.84, a placement she described as not defining her skating goals.
• Mone Chiba and Adeliya Petrosian were close behind Liu, with Chiba 2.59 points back and Petrosian 1.11 points further behind Chiba.
• Petrosian competes as an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) due to restrictions on Russia; she has a quadruple jump in her arsenal but has struggled with consistency after a leg injury.
• The short-to-free dynamic leaves room for late movement on the leaderboard, as demonstrated in the men’s event when skaters climbed from lower positions to the podium.

Background

Figure skating at these Winter Olympics has combined young breakout performers and established veterans, producing tight margins and dramatic shifts between the short and free programs. Ami Nakai, a 17-year-old who finished fourth at Japan’s national championships in December, unexpectedly led the short program, underscoring how rapidly careers can accelerate at a major international event. Kaori Sakamoto, 25, a three-time world champion and bronze medalist in 2022, remains a measured threat despite trailing Nakai by 1.48 points after the short.

Russia’s status in international sport continues to affect competition entry and designation. Skaters with Russian training or heritage were eligible only after ISU vetting and must compete under neutral labels; Adeliya Petrosian is listed as an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) following those protocols. Domestically, U.S. skaters entered this Olympic week with varied expectations: some viewed the Games as a stepping stone to exhibitions and exposure, while others pursued podium goals shaped by season-long Grand Prix and national results.

Main Event

During the short program session at Milano Ice Skating Arena, emotions ran high. Amber Glenn had planned a triple loop that was downgraded to a double, which drew no points for the element; that mistake dropped her to 13th and left her more than nine points shy of a medal position. Glenn described the moment afterward as a physical loss of balance that she could not recover from mentally, lamenting how immediate scoring consequences wiped out a season’s worth of attempt values.

Alysa Liu, who sat third, responded to Glenn’s distress with a conspicuous show of support: she hugged and comforted her teammate instead of celebrating her own strong placement. Liu noted afterward that she views skating through a lens of enjoyment rather than only results, saying that her placement does not alter how she judges her own performance. Liu also spoke openly about wanting to skate in the Olympic gala exhibition, suggesting her motivations include both competitive goals and the chance to perform in a showcase setting.

The leaderboard behind Liu featured a mix of youthful momentum and experienced contenders. Ami Nakai held first place with a personal-best short program, while Kaori Sakamoto trailed by 1.48 points and remained a contender based on pedigree. Mone Chiba, who won two Grand Prix events earlier in the season, sat 2.59 points behind Liu; Adeliya Petrosian, competing as AIN, was just 1.11 points behind Chiba and remained an intriguing dark-horse given her technical content.

Analysis & Implications

Liu’s composure and focus on enjoyment highlight a psychological approach that can blunt pressure at marquee events. Skaters who prioritize performance quality over placement sometimes produce cleaner programs under stress, and Liu’s reaction to Glenn suggests strong team dynamics within the U.S. delegation. That supportive atmosphere could offer marginal gains in an event where tenths of points matter.

Technically, the field remains unsettled. Petrosian brings high-difficulty elements, including the quadruple toe loop, but her leg injury and practice falls on the quad have reduced reliability—an important factor when difficult jumps can either vault an athlete forward or cost them dearly. Nakai’s rapid rise as a first-year senior indicates Japan’s depth: she has already bested Sakamoto twice this season, showing that national hierarchies can shift quickly on the international stage.

For skaters like Glenn and Levito, recovering from a subpar short program requires near-flawless free skates plus errors from those ahead. Glenn calculated that even her stronger past scores on the triple loop (six of seven attempts over six points) would still have left her outside immediate medal contention without others faltering. The men’s free skate earlier in the Games—where competitors jumped multiple places—serves as a reminder that standings are not final after the short.

Comparison & Data

The table summarizes relative positions and point gaps after the short program. Small differentials, particularly among the top five, indicate the free skate could reshuffle the podium; by contrast, Glenn’s margin to third is large enough that multiple competitors ahead would need significant errors for her to reach medal contention. These numeric relationships underline why technical consistency and program components both matter when medal outcomes are uncertain.

Reactions & Quotes

Team dynamics and individual responses were notable in athlete interviews and locker-room moments.

“She gave me a big hug and was comforting me—she couldn’t care less about herself in that moment,”

Amber Glenn (U.S. skater)

Glenn described feeling emotionally crushed after the missed element and appreciated Liu’s immediate consolation, saying she wanted Liu to enjoy her own skate but was struck by her teammate’s empathy.

“I’m just putting that out there — I really want to skate in the Olympic gala,”

Alysa Liu (reigning world champion)

Liu framed the gala invitation as a motivating factor alongside medal ambitions, emphasizing performance enjoyment and the chance to show a program and costume she’s excited about.

“I’m just enjoying these Olympics,”

Ami Nakai (Japan, short program leader)

Nakai, who posted a personal-best short program, downplayed expectations and stressed presence over pressure after finding herself unexpectedly atop the leaderboard as a first-year senior internationally.

Unconfirmed

• Exact content of some skaters’ planned free programs and whether Petrosian will attempt the quad in the free skate remain unconfirmed until the segment begins.
• Any lingering effects of Petrosian’s leg injury on jump consistency in competition sessions beyond practice are not fully verified.
• Internal selection criteria or last-minute lineup decisions for exhibition invitations (the Olympic gala) have not been publicly confirmed.

Bottom Line

The short program set up an open free skate: Nakai leads, Liu and other contenders remain within striking distance, and the podium is not yet decided. For Liu, the event illustrated a competitive philosophy that prizes enjoyment and performance quality, a mindset that can translate into steadier competition under pressure. For Glenn and Levito, the path back to medals is steep but not impossible—history at these Games shows significant jumps in placement can occur between segments.

Viewers should expect an emotionally charged free skate where technical risk-taking, execution under pressure, and small component-score margins will determine whether the leaders hold or fall. Beyond medals, this event showcased teamwork and sportsmanship in the Olympic environment, with Liu’s reaction to a teammate’s distress becoming as notable as any technical element performed on the ice.

Sources

• NBCOlympics.com (media report by Philip Hersh, event coverage)
• International Skating Union (official governing body; eligibility and athlete vetting information)
• Japan skating federation results and national championship data (national federation results)