The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics have delivered one nail-biting moment after another, and the women’s single figure skating event is no exception. As the world’s top skaters take to the ice for the free skating final on February 19, the atmosphere inside the Milano Ice Center is electric, with fans eagerly awaiting the crowning of a new Olympic champion. The leaderboard is tight, the routines are daring, and the stakes could not be higher. With contenders from Japan, the United States, and Russia all in the mix, the final promises to be one of the most closely fought in recent memory.
The women’s singles event is structured in two segments: the short program, held on February 17, and the free skating medal round, scheduled for the evening of February 19. The short program demands precision and nerves of steel, requiring skaters to complete a set of required elements—triple jumps, axels, combinations, and spins—where every detail matters. A single mistake can cost a skater dearly, as was heartbreakingly demonstrated by American Amber Glenn, who tumbled from a promising start to 13th place after popping her triple loop jump. According to TIME, Glenn, who landed a textbook triple axel and a strong combination, was left gutted: "Because she didn’t fulfill that requirement, she received no points for the element and fell to 13th. Fully aware of how costly the mistake was, Glenn couldn’t hide her disappointment."
After the short program, the leaderboard was topped by Japan’s 17-year-old sensation Ami Nakai, with her veteran teammate Kaori Sakamoto in second, and the United States’ Alysa Liu rounding out the top three. Nakai’s meteoric rise has been attributed to her ability to land high-difficulty elements, including a triple axel that launched her into the Olympic spotlight after a strong Grand Prix Final showing in December. Sakamoto, meanwhile, brings a wealth of experience to the rink as a three-time Olympian, the reigning world champion, and the 2022 Olympic bronze medalist. She has already declared that this will be her final Olympic appearance, and she’s skating with the poise and passion of someone determined to leave an indelible mark on the sport. "Everybody—from the pairs to the men—gave power to my performance today," Sakamoto told reporters. "And everybody from the [Japanese Skating] Federation told me now it’s your turn, so I thought I could enjoy my performance today."
The Japanese contingent is especially strong this year, with Mone Chiba sitting just outside the podium in fourth after the short program. With three skaters in the top four, Japan is poised for a potential sweep—a feat that would cap off a phenomenal Olympics for the nation. The Japanese team has already earned silver in the team event, and medals in both the men’s singles and pairs competitions, with Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara claiming gold in pairs. The overall figure skating medal table places Japan at the top, with one gold, two silvers, and one bronze, underscoring their dominance at these Games.
But the Americans are not to be underestimated. Alysa Liu, the reigning U.S. national champion, skated a clean and expressive short program, keeping her right in the thick of the medal hunt. Liu’s approach is refreshingly focused on personal growth rather than the scoreboard. As she told TIME, "I don’t think about stuff like that. Whether I beat them or not is not my goal. My goal is just to do my program and share my story. No matter what the outcome is, it’s still my story." Her teammate Isabeau Levito, the 2024 world silver medalist, sits in eighth after a solid but less technically ambitious program, while Amber Glenn’s earlier mistake has kept her out of the top group heading into the free skate.
Adding to the intrigue is the presence of Adeliia Petrosian, the Russian national champion competing as a neutral athlete due to Russia’s ongoing ban from Olympic competition following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Petrosian, currently in fifth place, is something of a wild card. She’s known for her quadruple jumps in domestic competitions—though she hasn’t attempted one internationally this season—and the question remains whether she’ll risk it all in the free skate. Petrosian told the press she hasn’t felt pressure being Russia’s sole representative in the women’s event, nor has she watched her main competitors since arriving in Milan. Her coach, Eteri Tutberidze, remains a controversial figure in the sport, given past doping scandals involving Russian skaters, but both Petrosian and Tutberidze have been cleared to participate in these Games by the International Olympic Committee.
The women’s free skating final will be broadcast live on major networks, including NBC in the U.S. and CBC in Canada, making it accessible to millions of fans worldwide. For those without cable, streaming options such as Peacock and CBC Gem ensure nobody misses a moment of the action. The event is set to begin on Thursday evening, with official results expected soon after the judges tally their scores.
Looking at the broader picture, the 2026 figure skating competition has already been full of surprises. In the team event, the United States edged out Japan by a single point to take gold, while France narrowly defeated the Americans in a hotly debated ice dance final. The men’s singles event saw Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov claim gold, with Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato taking silver and bronze, respectively. In pairs, Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara thrilled the home crowd by climbing from fifth to gold in a dramatic final. If the earlier events are any indication, fans should prepare for more twists and turns in the women’s final.
As the skaters prepare for their final routines, the pressure is immense. The free skate is where legends are made and dreams can unravel in an instant. A clean, high-difficulty program can vault a skater onto the podium, while even a minor slip can dash years of preparation. With Nakai, Sakamoto, and Liu all within striking distance—and Petrosian lurking with the potential to unleash a quadruple jump—the outcome is far from certain. The world will be watching as these athletes push the boundaries of artistry and athleticism, each hoping to etch their name into Olympic history.
With the free skating final about to unfold, the only thing guaranteed is drama. The leaderboard is tight, the routines are daring, and Olympic dreams hang in the balance. By the end of tonight, new champions will be crowned at Milano Cortina, and the world will have witnessed yet another unforgettable chapter in the storied history of Olympic figure skating.