17-Year-Old Ami Nakai Tops Women’s Short Program at Milan-Cortina

Seventeen-year-old Ami Nakai stunned the crowd at Milan-Cortina 2026 by topping the women’s short program, which defied expectations because she was the youngest competitor. The debutant delivered a lively, technically strong routine which displayed her best performance of the entire season. 

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Nakai’s performance brought her medal contention status, increasing the excitement of the event while creating the possibility of a historic Japanese women's figure skating sweep.

Japan’s Trio Threatens the Competition

Japan presents its powerful team through Kaori Sakamoto and Mone Chiba. Sakamoto performed her last competition through a complete short program, which she dedicated to Andrea Bocelli's Time to Say Goodbye and achieved high scores throughout her performance. Chiba, last year’s World Championships bronze medalist, sits just outside the podium. They form an effective partnership with Nakai because their previous victories in figure skating events have brought Japan multiple medals.

American Contenders and Challenges

The USA’s “Blade Angels” faced mixed fortunes. Alysa Liu, 20, struggled with her triple lutz and currently ranks third, while Isabeau Levito, 18, produced a classic routine but lacks Nakai’s technical edge. Amber Glenn, the 26-year-old Olympic debutant, missed a triple loop, slipping to 13th. Despite setbacks, both American skaters remain in the free skate hunt, keeping medal hopes alive.

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Individual Neutral Athlete Adds Drama

Adeliia Petrosian from Russia organized her skating competition as an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) as she achieved a short program score of 72.89, which put her in fifth place. She has trained at Eteri Tutberidze's training center, but her chances to win a medal remain intact because she will participate in the final free skate, which makes the event more interesting.

Grand Finale Awaits

The women’s medals will be decided through Thursday’s free skate, which has the potential to let Japan achieve a podium sweep. The bridge between Nakai's breakthrough performance and Sakamoto's established experience, combined with Chiba's dependable skating abilities, will create an exciting ending. 

The event is expected to deliver an exciting ending through fierce global competition from Liu, Glenn, and Petrosian.

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