"Only the women's event remains, and the U.S. squad, also known as the Blade Angels, is the strongest in decades. Going in, I thought they might snap Team USA's 20-year medal drought in women's figure skating by leaving the 2026 Games with two of the three medals. After the short program, however, two angels have fallen, and only one American, reigning World Champion Alysa Liu, remains in the hunt for gold."
"On Tuesday, though, the story of the night wasn't the U.S. team-it was the extraordinary strength of the Japanese women. No country has ever swept the ladies' podium in figure skating. In 2022, the "Russian Olympic Committee" came close, finishing in first, second, and fourth in a harrowing women's event. The only skater who stood in the way back then was Japan's Kaori Sakamoto, who won bronze, and has reigned in the four years since."
America entered Milan Cortina with realistic gold-medal hopes in four of five figure skating events and won the team event. Subsequent performances have undercut those expectations: Madison Chock and Evan Bates narrowly missed gold in ice dance, and Ilia Malinin placed eighth in men's singles. Only the women's competition remains, with the U.S. Blade Angels viewed as the strongest American women's squad in decades. Two U.S. skaters dropped out of medal contention after the short program, leaving reigning World Champion Alysa Liu as the sole American contender for gold. Japanese women showed extraordinary strength, with three skaters occupying the top four positions.
Read at Slate Magazine
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