Figure Skating: Kaori Sakamoto Captures Silver in Her Olympic Finale and Ami Nakai Wins Bronze

With the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the Olympic women's singles figure skating competition, Japan showcased the depth of its talent.

Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto was the runner-up to American Alysa Liu, finishing with 224.90 points. Liu earned the gold with 226.79 points at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Thursday, February 19.

Ami Nakai, who held a narrow lead over Sakamoto after Tuesday's short program in her Olympic debut, captured the bronze with 219.16 points.

Mone Chiba, bronze medal at the 2025 world championships, placed fourth (217.88).

figure skating — *Women's gold medalist Alysa Liu (center), runner-up Kaori Sakamoto (left) and third-place finisher Ami Nakai are seen during the victory ceremony. (©KYODO)*

For Liu, a Dynamic Free Skate Clinches Title

Liu was third after the short program on 76.59. She climbed to No 1 with 150.20 points in the free skate.

The women's titlist at the 2025 ISU Figure Skating World Championships in Boston, Liu delighted the crowd with her energetic rendition of Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park Suite." With seven successful triple jumps and a cheerful demeanor throughout her performance, the 20-year-old exuded confidence and graceful movement on the ice.

Liu, who received a personal-best score for the two-day event, stepped away from figure skating at age 16, citing burnout.

She made a notable return to the sport in 2024 and focused on having fun instead of chasing victories. Success has followed, with Liu winning the 2025 Grand Prix Final in Nagoya and the aforementioned world title.

Now, she's the first American woman to triumph in the Olympic figure skating competition since Sarah Huges in 2002.

"I was feeling calm, happy, and confident. I've been having fun the whole time," Liu told reporters, describing the 2026 Olympics. "This experience is really cool.

"I'm so grateful — I have such a great support system around me, friends who really hold me down. No matter what happens in life, I think I have a very beautiful life story, and I feel really lucky. I'm glad that now there are a lot of people watching me, so I can show them everything I've come up with in my head and share my stories. I want to be a storyteller."

Sakamoto Delivers a Solid Free Skate

In her final Olympics, Sakamoto was consistent in the short program and the free skate, taking second in both.

The 25-year-old's score in the latter (147.67) was reduced by a shaky landing on a triple flip and a botched triple toe loop.

Despite her miscues, the retiring skater from Kobe had a strong overall performance on Thursday and added to her Olympic medal haul. She now has three silver and a bronze.

The fan favorite helped Japan claim the team silver in 2022 and '26.

"Four years ago in Beijing, I won what felt like a miraculous bronze medal [in singles]. Now, four years later, I came here aiming for gold," Sakamoto told reporters in Milan. "I'm frustrated that I couldn't win it and ended up with silver. But the fact that I can feel frustrated even though I moved up a medal color shows how much I’ve grown over these past four years."

She added, "All the experiences I've accumulated have led to this growth, and I think that's something I can be proud of."

Nakai Struggles in Free Skate

Niigata Prefecture native Nakai, who is 17, was ninth in the free skate (140.45 points).

Skating to "What A Wonderful World," she opened her program with a triple axel, and showed her skating ability with four more triple jumps. The crowd showered her with cheers during her high-energy performance.

But she doubled a planned triple toe combination. This reduced Nakai's free skate score and her final spot on the leaderboard.

That said, it was an enjoyable experience for the first-time Olympian.

"I feel very happy that I was able to land the axel," Nakai told a news conference. "But there were also parts where I made mistakes on jumps, so I honestly felt frustrated and wondered what was going to happen.

"When the scores came out, I couldn't tell where my ranking was. I was searching for it. I thought I didn't make it. When I looked next to my name, it had a three next to it. That's when I finally realized it meant a bronze medal. I was really surprised, and honestly, I even wondered if it was real."

Chiba Stays in 4th Place

After the short program, Chiba sat in fourth place. Two days later, her solid showing in the free skate kept her there as the competition wrapped up. The 20-year-old Olympic debutante received 143.88 points in the free skate, not enough to overtake Nakai and secure the third-place medal.

"This season I gained a lot of experience, and being able to deliver my best performance here at the Olympics means more than anything," Chiba was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.

She added, "This was the stage I had worked the hardest for and been aiming at all season, so I'm very glad I was able to perform well here."

Author: Ed Odeven

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