The Blade Angels will have a hard time reaching heaven.
Arriving at the 2026 Olympics with a trio that ranked among the most talented groups in American figure skating history, Team USA’s two-decade-long medal drought is in danger of stretching another four years after Tuesday’s short program of the women’s singles competition.
Japan’s Ami Nakai (78.71 total segment score) and Kaori Sakamoto (77.23) ended the session atop the leaderboard, followed by California’s Alysa Liu (76.59).
New Jersey’s Isabeau Levito (70.84) ended the day in eighth place, while Texas’ Amber Glenn (67.39) left the ice in tears, sitting in 12th place entering Thursday’s free skate.
Mone Chiba (74.00) is in fourth place, giving Japan the opportunity to become the first nation to ever sweep the podium in an Olympic figure skating competition.
When the day began, the U.S. had realistic hopes that any of its skaters could win gold.
Glenn, 26, the oldest American woman to compete in the Olympic women’s singles event since 1928, is the three-time, reigning U.S. champion, the first woman to achieve that feat since Michelle Kwan.
Levito, 18, won silver at the 2024 World Championships. Liu, 20, claimed gold at the 2025 World Championships.
Liu, who earned gold — along with Glenn — during last week’s team event, gives the U.S. its best chance to medal in the event since Sasha Cohen won silver at the 2006 Olympics in Turin.
An American woman hasn’t won gold in the event since Sarah Hughes (2002, Salt Lake City).
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Glenn, the penultimate performer of the day, may have produced one of the lasting images of the Americans’ disappointing Games.
Despite landing a triple axel at the start of her routine and appearing in contention to take over first place, Glenn was penalized on her final jump, earning zero points for an “invalid element” after rotating twice on a triple jump.
Glenn was inconsolable as she awaited her score, in disbelief, wondering how she missed a jump she’d executed countless times.
“She’s gone through so much and she works so freaking hard, like genuinely, such a hard worker and she’s overcome a lot,” Liu told reporters afterwards. “I just want her to be happy. That’s genuinely all I want. And so I’ll be seeing her later, don’t worry guys.
“We’ll stick together.”
