Japan's Ami Nakai surges into Olympic lead after short program as US struggles at the Winter Games

MILAN — Ami Nakai and Japanese teammate Kaori Sakamoto upstaged Alysa Liu and the rest of the “Blade Angels” on Tuesday night.

Nakai rode her opening triple axel to a career-best 78.71 points in her short program at the Milan Cortina Olympics, while three-time world champion Sakamoto — the reigning Winter Games bronze medalist — was right behind with 77.23 as she chases down about the only gold medal she has yet to win. Liu was third with 76.59, keeping her within range of the top step of the podium.

“Whether I beat them or not is not my goal,” Liu said of the Japanese contingent, which includes Mone Chiba right behind her in fourth place. “My goal is just to do my programs and share my story and I don’t need to be over or under anyone to do that.”

The 20-year-old Liu was nearly perfect. Her fellow “Blade Angels” were not.

Isabeau Levito lost a level on her step sequence and wound up eighth with 70.84 points, while three-time reigning U.S. champ Amber Glenn likely had her medal hopes evaporate when she doubled up a triple loop, making the jump invalid and worth no points.

Glenn, trying to hold back tears as she stepped off the ice, was in 13th place with 67.39 points.

“I had it,” Glenn told her coach, Damon Allen. He replied: “It's not over.”

Chiba gave Japan three women capable of making it a podium sweep when the women's free skate Thursday night wraps up the figure skating program at the Winter Games. Chiba scored 74.00 points, putting her just ahead of Adeliia Petrosian of Russia.

The women's event had long been considered a showdown between the brilliant Japanese and the powerful Americans.

Yet Petrosian wedged herself right in among them.

The world had barely seen the 18-year-old from Moscow because Russia remains barred from international competition following its invasion of Ukraine. But Pedrosian, who is coached by the controversial Eteri Tutberidze, was vetted and cleared by the International Olympic Committee of any ties to the military or the war, allowing her to take part and win a qualifying event in Japan.

Without any real world ranking to her name, Petrosian was the second to take the ice, slotted in among skaters with little chance to qualify for the free skate let alone touch the podium. But it was clear she was different the moment her music began.

With a medley of Michael Jackson hits playing, Petrosian — competing as a neutral athlete — whipped through her double axel, landed a triple lutz and capped the performance with a triple flip-triple toe loop that seemed downright effortless.

“I'm quite pleased with my score. It's good,” Petrosian said in Russian, “and I'm happy with it.”

She'll be even happier to be among the other favorites warming up for the free skate.

“I hope to be in the same warm-up group with them,” Petrosian said. “I haven’t really seen them yet because we are all in different practice groups. But it would be nice to be in the same warm-up group and compete against them.”

Nakai and Sakamoto will certainly be up for the challenge.

The 17-year-old Nakai, who is inspired by the great Mao Asada, followed her opening triple axel with a triple loop-triple toe loop, and her finishing triple loop gave her a big lead over Sakamoto when it came to the technical score.

“There’s no way I stand a chance against Kaori,” Nakai said, modestly. “Right now I’m just enjoying these Olympics.”

The 25-year-old Sakamoto nearly made up the difference on Nakai in technical score with her trademark artistry. After landing her finishing combination, she gave a slight fist-pump as she caught her breath, then nodded to herself as if to say, “I did it.”

Then there was Liu, who finished sixth four years ago at the Beijing Games, then walked away from the sport entirely.

She was burned out by figure skating and wanted to live a normal life, and she did that for a couple of years, ticking off items on a long bucket list. But when Liu felt that familiar adrenaline rush of figure skating while on a ski trip, it spurred her to pick up the sport once more, only this time she would perform entirely on her own terms.

Liu became the first American woman to win a world title in nearly two decades when she triumphed last year. Now, with one more stellar skate on Thursday night, she could give the U.S. its first women's Olympic champion since Sarah Hughes in 2002.

“I can’t even describe how different it is,” Liu said. “I mean just the fact that my family and friends are here and the fact that it’s not COVID and the fact that I am here with programs that I love and I’m proud of enough to like, show people and like, rep and, like, I love my dresses a lot. Like I’m super confident in myself, in everything. It goes beyond my skating,

“So I’m really glad,” Liu said, “that I got this stage as I am now.”