Japan Dominates Olympic Figure Skating Short Program, U.S. “Blade Angels” Struggle
MILAN, Italy – Ami Nakai, a 17-year-old rising star and veteran Kaori Sakamoto of Japan surged to the top of the leaderboard after the women’s figure skating short program at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Tuesday, leaving the American team, dubbed the “Blade Angels,” trailing behind. Germany likewise secured a dominant win in the two-man bobsled event, whereas other competitions faced weather-related delays.
Figure Skating: Japanese Sweep Possible
Nakai delivered a career-best performance, scoring 78.71 points with a stunning opening triple axel. Sakamoto, the reigning Winter Games bronze medalist, closely followed with 77.23 points, aiming for the one gold medal that still eludes her. Alysa Liu of the United States secured third place with 76.59 points, remaining within contention for a medal.
Mone Chiba’s score of 74.00 points positioned Japan for a potential podium sweep in Thursday’s free skate. Adeliia Petrosian of Russia also placed among the top contenders.
The American skaters faced challenges. Isabeau Levito finished eighth with 70.84 points after losing a level on her step sequence. Three-time U.S. Champion Amber Glenn’s medal hopes were significantly hampered by a flawed triple loop, resulting in zero points for the jump and a 13th-place finish with 67.39 points. ESPN reports Glenn was visibly emotional after her performance, but her coach encouraged her, stating, “It’s not over.”
Bobsled: German Dominance Continues
Germany achieved a complete sweep of the medals in the two-man bobsled race, led by Johannes Lochner, who secured his first Olympic gold with a significant winning margin – the largest in nearly 50 years. Frank Del Duca and Josh Williamson of the U.S. Finished fourth. This marks the second Olympic sweep in bobsled history for Germany, following a similar achievement at the Beijing Games four years ago.
Other Events: Delays and Victories
The women’s snowboarding slopestyle final was postponed due to heavy snowfall in Livigno, delaying Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand’s attempt to defend her title. ESPN reports a new date for the final has not yet been announced.
Italy’s Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini, and Michele Malfatti won gold in the men’s team pursuit speedskating, defeating the U.S. World record-holders by 4.5 seconds. Canada secured its second consecutive Winter Games title in the women’s team pursuit. France won its first Olympic gold medal in men’s biathlon relay, overcoming a last-place start to finish first.
Jens Luraas Oftebro of Norway won his second Nordic combined gold medal of the Games, while Johannes Lamparter of Austria and Ilkka Herola of Finland took silver and bronze, respectively.