Japanese Teenager Ami Nakai Stuns in Olympic Figure Skating Short Program
Japanese teenager Ami Nakai delivered a commanding performance on Tuesday, seizing the lead in the Olympic women's figure skating short program. Her clean skate, highlighted by a soaring triple axel, earned a personal-best score of 78.71, overshadowing the American Blade Angels team and putting Japan in a strong position to challenge for a historic podium sweep.
Nakai's Dream Performance and Japanese Dominance
Nakai, just 17 years old, opened her program to La Strada by Nino Rosa with a flawless triple axel, followed by a triple lutz-triple toeloop combination and a triple loop. Her score held up through the next 11 skaters, leaving her in disbelief. "I feel like I'm dreaming," Nakai said. "I just tried to stay in my skate and have a good time." She acknowledged the competitive push from American skaters but emphasized enjoying her time on the ice.
Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan placed second with 77.23 points, delivering an elegant routine to Time To Say Goodbye. Mone Chiba finished fourth with 74.00 points, setting up a potential Japanese podium sweep in Thursday's free skate—a feat never achieved in Olympic women's figure skating history.
American Hopes Dwindle Amid Struggles
Only Alysa Liu of the United States broke the Japanese hold on the top spots, scoring 76.59 for third place. Liu, the 20-year-old world champion who returned from a two-year retirement due to burnout, performed a near-perfect routine to Promise. A medal on Thursday would make her the first American woman to podium in this event since Sasha Cohen in 2006. "My goal is just to do my programs and share my story," Liu said, downplaying rivalry with the Japanese skaters.
However, other American contenders faltered. Isabeau Levito, 18, finished eighth with 70.84 points after a docked step sequence. Amber Glenn, 26, started strong with a sensational triple axel but popped a triple loop, dropping to 13th with 67.39 points. "I don't know what happened," Glenn told her coach. "I had it." These setbacks highlight the challenges in ending America's two-decade medal drought.
Other Notable Performances and Future Prospects
Adeliia Petrosian, the three-time Russian champion competing as an individual neutral athlete, skated cleanly to a Michael Jackson medley for fifth place with 72.89 points. Coached by the controversial Eteri Tutberidze, she kept her plans for quadruple jumps or a triple axel in the free skate secret. "I'm feeling really calm," Petrosian said, hoping her short program momentum carries into Thursday.
As the competition heads into the free skate, all eyes are on Nakai and her Japanese teammates to potentially make history, while American skaters face an uphill battle to revive their medal hopes in this fiercely contested event.
