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Youngster Ami Nakai of Japan took the lead in what was a spectacular night of skating at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 as the Women’s event opened with the Short Program on Tuesday. 

One after another the skaters delivered personal and season’s best performances to light up the Milano Ice Skating Arena. 

The stage is set for a grand finale of the Olympic Figure Skating competition with the Women’s Free Skating on Thursday. 

Nakai’s dream skate 

Japan’s Ami Nakai edged teammate Kaori Sakamoto by a little over a point to take the lead. Reigning ISU World Champion Alysa Liu (USA) currently ranks third. 

Seventeen-year-old Nakai is the youngest competitor in the event but she looked as calm and composed as a veteran, hitting a big triple Axel in her routine to “La Strada” and following up with triple Lutz-triple toe combination to set a new personal best of 78.71 points. 

Ami Nakai (JPN) hit a triple Axel and a confident combination in her Short Program to set a personal best and take the lead going into Thursday's Free Skating © Getty Images

“Honestly, I'm surprised, and I'm very happy now that I was able to perform like this on this stage,” Nakai said. “I feel like I'm dreaming.”

The triple Axel was her weapon today. 

"I was in quite good condition in practice, so I thought I just had to do the triple Axel in the competition. I also had a lot of confidence.”

“I didn't feel scared at all, and I wasn't as nervous as I expected,” Nakai continued. "I was really excited about it."

She skated first in the second-last warm-up group and felt that the draw was to her advantage

“I was the first to skate [in the group], so I was able to carry this feeling from the six-minute warm-up into properly challenging this performance. I think that really helped."

17-year-old Nakai celebrates taking the lead ahead of a long wait while 11 more skaters took to the ice © Getty Images

Now the ISU Grand Prix Final silver medalist is looking forward to the Free Skating.

"If you ask honestly whether I want a medal, of course I do. But I didn’t come to these Olympics focusing only on results. 

“I’m really looking forward to how much I can enjoy these Olympics, and I hope I can enjoy them until the very last moment,” Nakai shared.

Sakamoto: tired of being nervous

Performing to “Time to Say Goodbye”, Kaori Sakamoto oozed confidence and nailed her triple Lutz and a double Axel as well as excellent spins. However, she slightly under-rotated the triple flip-triple toe combo which cost a few points. The three-time ISU World Champion earned 77.23 points.

Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) lies second behind her young compatriot but feels comfortable doing the chasing © Getty Images

“I focused not to be too nervous and I tried to calm myself by relaxing and tried to have fun during the performance,” Sakamoto noted. 

“I think that's why I was able to perform as I did today. 

“Compared to the Japanese National Championships, I was not nervous, but every day up to yesterday, the Pairs Free Skating, I was nervous every day,” the reigning Olympic bronze medalist revealed. 

“My hands were shaking, my legs were shaking, but maybe I got too tired of getting too nervous, and that's why I think I could settle down today,” she continued with a laugh.

Sitting in second sets her up well for the Free Skating, Sakamoto feels. 

"It's easier to be the one chasing, so I'm grateful to Ami for letting me stay in the chasing position until the very end. 

“Heading into the free skate, I don't feel like I have anything to protect. 

“Until the very end, I want to give my all and show my full power. If I can do that, I think I'll be able to deliver a good performance. I don't want to skate defensively. I want to skate with attack."

Liu skated ‘for the people’

Alysa Liu’s emotional performance to “Promise” featured a rarely seen triple Lutz-triple loop combination, but the loop was slightly under-rotated. Nevertheless, the reigning ISU Grand Prix Final Champion achieved a new personal best of 76.59 points.

Alysa Liu (USA) is enjoying her second Olympic experience and her confidence paid off with a personal best to sit in third place © Getty Images

“Tonight I performed for the people. I performed for them specifically,” Liu pointed out. 

She is fully enjoying the experience at her second Olympic Games, four years on from her debut in Beijing.

“Genuinely I could not even describe how different it is,” the ISU World Champion said. 

“Just the fact that my family and friends are here, the fact that there isn’t COVID, the fact that I’m here with programs that I love and I’m proud of to show the people and wear dresses that I love. 

“I’m super confident in myself and everything. It goes beyond my skating. I’m really glad that I got to this stage that I am on right now.”

Reigning ISU World bronze medalist Mone Chiba (JPN) is not far behind in fourth place on 74.00 points following a delightful performance to “Last Dance”.

Mone Chiba (JPN) overcame pre-routine nerves to put in a delightful performance for fourth place © Getty Images

“Since I was the last skater today, I was very nervous, and during the six-minute practice, I felt very very anxious,” Chiba admitted. 

“But then I had time to settle down, so I was able to control everything.”

The 2024 ISU Four Continents Champion is looking forward to presenting her Romeo and Juliet Free Skating to the Italian audience.

“Going into the Free Skating on Thursday, I just wanted to focus on myself and try to believe in what I’m capable of and see what happens,” she noted. 

Adeliia Petrosian (AIN) placed fifth with a personal best performance to Michael Jackson songs on 72.89 points.

Second to skate but ranked fifth, Adeliia Petrosian (AIN) finds herself elevated to the final warm-up group for the Free Skating © Getty Images

“I really enjoyed my performance and I hope the audience did as well,” the 18-year-old commented. 

“Since these are my first Olympic Games, I don’t feel a lot of pressure. We’ll see how it will be in the Free Skating.”

Petrosian is looking forward to skating with the top women in the same warm-up group. 

“I did not yet meet them and therefore, honestly, I don’t really feel that I am competing with them,” she shared.

“It will be very nice to be next to them and to skate with them.”

The 2023 ISU European Champion Anastasiia Gubanova (GEO) entertained the crowd with her Bollywood program to come sixth with a personal best of 71.77 points. 

Two-time ISU World medalist Loena Hendrickx (BEL) scored a season’s best of 70.93 points to come seventh.

Amber Glenn (USA) was the only other woman to land a triple Axel but after doubling the loop, sits in 13th place (67.39 points). 

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