The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina have delivered drama, heartbreak, and glimmers of hope for Team USA’s figure skaters, with the spotlight shining brightly on the nation’s top athletes as they navigate the highs and lows of Olympic competition. As the women’s individual figure skating event heads into its decisive free skate, the American contingent finds itself at a crossroads—some skaters are clinging to medal dreams, while others are left to reflect on what might have been.
Perhaps the most talked-about moment so far came during the women’s short program on February 17, when Amber Glenn, the 26-year-old Texan who entered the Games as a gold medal favorite, saw her Olympic ambitions unravel in a matter of seconds. Glenn, well known for her technical prowess and emotional artistry, began her routine at the Milano Ice Skating Arena with a bang, landing a difficult triple axel and a series of crisp combination jumps that had the crowd buzzing. But as her program approached its climax, trouble loomed.
Glenn’s final jump was meant to be a standalone triple loop, a required element in the women’s short program. The triple loop—requiring three full rotations in the air after taking off from the outside edge of one foot—is no small feat, but Glenn had already conquered more challenging elements earlier in her routine. As she launched into the concluding jump, something went awry. Instead of completing the triple, Glenn managed only two rotations, resulting in a double loop. To the untrained eye, it might have seemed a minor slip, but for those familiar with figure skating’s rigorous standards, the consequences were immediate and severe.
According to the sport’s “Invalid Element” rule, a double loop in that spot simply wouldn’t cut it. The judges awarded Glenn zero points for her final jump, as it failed to meet the program’s technical requirements. In a discipline where every fraction of a point can separate medalists from also-rans, the penalty was devastating. “Because Glenn did not complete the standalone triple jump she needed to meet all of the necessary elements for the women’s short program, she received zero points for her final double loop jump as the judges classified it as an invalid element,” reported Heavy.com. The deduction, combined with an earlier fall in her routine, has likely dashed Glenn’s hopes of standing atop the podium when the women’s competition resumes with the free skate on February 19.
Glenn’s disappointment is all the more poignant given her status as a favorite and the weight of expectation she carried into Milan. The emotional toll was visible as she left the ice, tears streaming down her face—a gut-wrenching image that quickly circulated on social media and news outlets. For Glenn, the Olympic dream may not be over, but the path to gold has become all but impossible.
While Glenn’s setback has dominated headlines, her teammate Alysa Liu has emerged as a beacon of hope for Team USA in the women’s event. The 21-year-old from California, already a familiar face on the international stage, delivered a poised and dynamic short program that left her in third place heading into the free skate, as of February 18. Liu’s performance was met with cheers from the crowd and jubilant celebrations with her team in the Kiss and Cry area, as captured in a series of striking Getty Images photographs.
Liu’s journey to Milan has been marked by steady progress and a knack for rising to the occasion. Earlier in the Games, she contributed to Team USA’s gold medal in the figure skating team event, sharing the podium with fellow Americans Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Ellie Kam, Danny O’Shea, Amber Glenn, and Ilia Malinin. That team triumph provided a morale boost for the U.S. squad, and Liu’s current standing in the individual event has kept American hopes alive as the competition heads into its final act.
“Alysa Liu of Team United States celebrates with her team in the Kiss and Cry zone after competing in the Women’s Single Skating – Short Program,” read the caption of one particularly joyful photo from February 6. Now, with a medal within reach, Liu faces the challenge of maintaining her composure and delivering under pressure in the free skate—a test that has proven daunting for even the sport’s greatest stars.
Speaking of pressure, no American skater has felt its weight more acutely in Milan than Ilia Malinin. Dubbed the “Quad God” for his record-breaking technical feats, the 21-year-old entered the men’s individual event as the odds-on favorite to win gold. But Olympic glory proved elusive after a disastrous free skate on February 15, during which Malinin fell twice and lost a staggering 72 points, ultimately finishing eighth with a score of 156.33—far below his pre-Olympic performances of 209.78, 238.24, 228.97, and 215.78.
In a candid interview on NBC’s “Today” show, Malinin admitted, “Honestly, it’s not a pleasant feeling. The most honest way to say it is it’s just a lot of on you, just so many eyes, so much attention. It really can get to you if you’re not ready to fully embrace it, so I think that might be one of the mistakes I made going into that free skate was I was not ready to handle that to a full extent.”
Despite the heartbreak, Malinin’s Olympic experience has not been without its highlights. Earlier in the Games, he helped Team USA secure gold in the figure skating team event, posting a strong free skate score of 200.03. After his individual disappointment, Malinin took to social media to reflect on his “invisible battles” and hinted at participating in an exhibition gala scheduled for February 21. Fans rallied around him, flooding his posts with messages of support: “You are still a champion.”
Malinin’s journey is a reminder of the immense psychological demands placed on Olympic athletes. “All I have to do is just learn from my mistakes there and push to see how I can improve in the future,” he said. “I can take a different approach leading up to the next Games, hopefully.” With the 2030 Olympics already on his mind, Malinin’s story is far from over.
As the women’s figure skating competition prepares for its climactic free skate, all eyes are on Alysa Liu to see if she can capitalize on her strong start and bring home an individual medal for Team USA. Meanwhile, Amber Glenn will skate with pride, determined to finish on a high note despite the odds. For Ilia Malinin, the lessons of Milan-Cortina will shape his path forward, both as an athlete and as a person.
The Olympic stage is unforgiving, but it’s also where resilience and redemption are born. With the final acts still to come, the American figure skating story at these Games remains very much in motion.