Ami Nakai Stuns With Triple Axel to Lead Olympic Short Program

Ami Nakai © Pinterest

The Milano Ice Skating Arena witnessed a dramatic shift in the figure skating hierarchy on Tuesday night. Seventeen-year-old Ami Nakai delivered a clinical performance to take the lead in a spectacular Women’s Short Program. In a night where personal bests were shattered, the Japanese youngster upstaged seasoned favorites to position herself as the surprise frontrunner for gold.

Nakai’s Dream Olympic Debut

Skating to “La Strada,” Nakai performed with a maturity that belied her age. The cornerstone of her routine was a massive triple Axel, a high-risk jump that few in the world can execute with such precision. She followed it with a flawless triple Lutz-triple toe combination to earn a career-high score.

“I feel like I’m dreaming,” Nakai said through tears of joy. “I didn’t feel scared at all, and I wasn’t as nervous as I expected. I had a lot of confidence from practice.”

The Standings: Names and Scores

• Ami Nakai (JPN): 78.71 points
• Kaori Sakamoto (JPN): 77.23 points
• Alysa Liu (USA): 76.59 points
• Mone Chiba (JPN): 74.00 points
• Adeliia Petrosian (AIN): 72.89 points
• Anastasiia Gubanova (GEO): 71.77 points
• Loena Hendrickx (BEL): 70.93 points
• Amber Glenn (USA): 67.39 points

The Chasers: Sakamoto and Liu

The top of the leaderboard remains incredibly tight. Three-time World Champion Kaori Sakamoto sits in second place. Despite her trademark power, a slight under-rotation on her combination cost her the top spot. Meanwhile, Alysa Liu completed her fairytale return to the sport, sitting in third place. Her emotional program featured a difficult triple Lutz-triple loop combination, keeping her well within striking distance of the gold.

Source: article on isu-skating.com, published February 17, 2026.

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By Vitalina Andrushchenko, Staff Writer