U.S. Triumphs: Liu Wins Historic Figure Skating Gold, Stoddard Earns Short‑Track Bronze
Updated (25 articles)
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Image: NewsweekGold medalist Alysa Liu of Team United States poses for a photo after the medal ceremony for the Women’s Single Skating on day thirteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images) Source Full size -
Image: NewsweekGold medalist Alysa Liu of Team United States poses for a photo after the medal ceremony for the Women’s Single Skating on day thirteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images) Source Full size
Liu Secures First U.S. Women’s Figure‑Skating Gold in 24 Years On Feb 19, 2026 Alysa Liu captured the women’s individual title at the Milan‑Cortina Games with a combined 226.79 points, including a 150.20‑point free‑skate, beating Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto (silver, 224.90) and Ami Nakai (bronze, 219.16) [4][5][8][12][15][16]. Her victory ends a 24‑year drought since Sarah Hughes’s 2002 gold and follows a U.S. team‑event gold earlier in the Games [7][9]. Liu entered the free skate in third place and delivered a near‑flawless performance in a glittering gold dress set to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park” [8][13][14][15].
Comeback Narrative Drives Liu’s Victory Liu retired after the 2022 Beijing Olympics citing burnout, then spent two years away from competition, studying psychology at UCLA and traveling before returning in 2024 [4][5][6][16]. She won the 2025 World Championship, reclaiming artistic control over music, choreography, and attire, and described her comeback as a shift from “gilded cage” to freedom [6][16]. Former Olympian Marshawn Lynch posted a hype video urging her to bring gold back to Oakland, underscoring community support for her return [2]. Liu emphasized joy over pressure, saying she “had no poker face” and wanted to skate on her own terms [8][15].
Stoddard Earns Bronze in Women’s 1500 m Short‑Track On Feb 20, 2026 Corinne Stoddard of Federal Way placed third in the women’s 1500 m final in Milan, finishing behind South Korea’s Kim Gil‑li (gold) and Choi Min‑jeong (silver) [1]. She called the medal “really meaningful” after acknowledging she was not at peak form earlier in the Games [1]. Stoddard’s Olympic résumé includes a 7th‑place 1000 m finish and multiple top‑30 results at Beijing 2022, while her 2024 World Championship haul featured relay silver and two bronzes [1]. Her early start in roller‑skating at age 6 and coaching under Miguel Jose contributed to her rise [1].
U.S. Winter Games Showcase Mixed Results Across Disciplines Speed‑skater Brittany Bowe finished fourth in the women’s 1500 m with 1:54.70, confirming the Milan Games as her final Olympics and announcing her engagement to hockey captain Hilary Knight [3]. The U.S. women’s hockey team secured overtime gold, with Hilary Knight tying the game and Megan Keller scoring the winner [9][12]. Jordan Stolz earned silver in the 1500 m speed‑skating event, narrowly missing gold to China’s Ning Zhongyan [9]. These outcomes highlight a strong but uneven U.S. performance across skating sports [3][9][12].
Sources
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King5 Corinne Stoddard Wins Olympic Bronze in Women’s 1500 m Short‑Track: Details Stoddard’s podium finish, her remarks on off‑peak form, and her career background .
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King5 Marshawn Lynch’s Video Boosts Oakland‑Born Alysa Liu’s Olympic Gold: Describes Lynch’s hype video, Liu’s gold, and their shared Oakland roots .
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WBNS Brittany Bowe finishes fourth in her final Olympic 1500 m race: Reports Bowe’s fourth place, her retirement, and engagement announcement .
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AP Alysa Liu Wins First U.S. Women’s Figure Skating Gold Since 2002: Provides score, comeback narrative, and mental‑health focus .
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AP Alysa Liu Ends 24‑Year U.S. Drought with Olympic Figure Skating Gold: Highlights near‑flawless free skate and event timing .
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Newsweek Nathan Chen Commends Alysa Liu’s Olympic Gold in Milan: Features Chen’s praise and Liu’s artistic freedom .
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AP Alysa Liu ends 24‑year U.S. drought with women’s figure‑skating gold: Adds team event context and Japanese rivals’ results .
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CNN Alysa Liu Wins Gold with Carefree Performance at 2026 Winter Olympics: Emphasizes Liu’s relaxed demeanor and program music .
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King5 Alysa Liu’s gold and U.S. comebacks dominate Milan Cortina Games: Summarizes broader U.S. successes, including hockey and speed‑skating .
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WBNS Alysa Liu Wins Olympic Gold After 2022 Retirement: Notes retirement timeline and personal motivations .
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King5 Alysa Liu Wins Olympic Gold Then Reflects on 2022 Retirement: Reiterates retirement details and personal reflections .
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CNN Alyssa Liu Captures U.S. Figure Skating Gold at Milan 2026: Highlights sportsmanship and concurrent U.S. hockey gold .
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WBNS Alysa Liu Ends 24‑Year U.S. Drought with Olympic Figure Skating Gold: Provides free‑skate entry position and competitor scores .
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King5 Alysa Liu Ends 24‑Year U.S. Drought with Olympic Figure Skating Gold: Mirrors other AP reports with added comeback context .
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BBC Alysa Liu Wins First U.S. Women’s Figure Skating Gold Since 2002: Gives free‑skate point breakdown and Japanese retirements .
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CNN Alysa Liu’s Return to Figure Skating Leads to Olympic Gold: Details early career, retirement reasons, and artistic control .
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BBC Japan’s Youngest Skater Leads Women’s Figure Skating at Milan‑Cortina 2026: Shows Japanese dominance in short program, noting Liu’s error .
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Newsweek Amber Glenn’s Olympic Slip Highlights US‑Japan Figure Skating Gap: Discusses Glenn’s miss and U.S.‑Japan score gap .
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AP Japanese Skaters Lead While U.S. Team Falters in Olympic Short Program: Reports short‑program standings and Liu’s third place .
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BBC Japan Leads Women’s Figure Skating Short Program as Ami Nakai Wins: Highlights Japanese sweep and Liu’s triple‑Lutz issue .
Timeline
2002 – Sarah Hughes wins the Olympic women’s figure‑skating title, marking the United States’ last gold in the event for 24 years [11].
2006 – Sasha Cohen captures silver, becoming the only U.S. woman on the podium between Hughes’s 2002 gold and the 2026 victory [11].
2022 (Beijing Games) – Alysa Liu finishes sixth in the Olympic short program and later earns a World Championships bronze, establishing herself among the sport’s elite [22].
April 2022 – Liu announces her retirement on Instagram, calling competitive skating a “gilded cage” and citing burnout after an 11‑year career that began at age 5 [16][22].
March 2025 – Returning from retirement, Liu wins the World Championships with a free‑skate to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park,” delivering the United States its first women’s world title in nearly two decades [4].
2025 – The International Skating Union raises the minimum age for Olympic figure‑skating competitors from 15 to 17, ending the era of teenage medalists [2].
Jan 10, 2026 – At the U.S. Championships, Amber Glenn secures her third consecutive title; Liu places second with 228.91 points and publicly praises Glenn’s work ethic [14].
Jan 12, 2026 – The U.S. Olympic figure‑skating team is announced: Liu, Glenn and Isabeau Levito headline the women’s squad; Maxim Naumov earns a spot after his parents’ tragic plane crash, and Ilia Malinin captures his fourth U.S. men’s title [7].
Feb 17, 2026 – In the Olympic short program, Japan’s Ami Nakai leads with a season‑best 78.71, Kaori Sakamoto follows with 77.23, and Liu lands third with 76.59, later saying, “My goal is to perform my programs and share my story, not to beat the Japanese skaters” [13][23].
Feb 18, 2026 – The age‑limit change looms as Nakai maintains her lead; Liu misses rotation on a triple Lutz, while veteran Sakamoto announces she will retire after Thursday’s free skate [2][3].
Feb 19, 2026 – Liu delivers a near‑flawless free skate in a gold dress, scoring 226.79 points to win Olympic gold—the first U.S. women’s title since 2002—while Sakamoto takes silver and Nakai bronze; Liu declares, “I want to do the gala so badly… No judging,” emphasizing her artistic freedom [1][4][5][10][11][12][16][17][19][21][22].
Feb 20, 2026 – Nathan Chen lauds Liu’s victory, noting, “There’s no such thing as pressure in her vocabulary,” and reflects on his own redemption story as context for her triumph [8].
Feb 20, 2026 – Former NFL star Marshawn Lynch posts a hype video urging Liu, “Go out there and win some gold… Bring that **** back to the town,” highlighting their shared Oakland roots [20].
Post‑Games 2026 – Liu confirms she will compete in the Olympic gala, saying she wants to skate “without judging” and hopes her platform raises mental‑health awareness in sport [4][5][11].
Dive deeper (8 sub-stories)
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King5 (Seattle, WA): Corinne Stoddard Wins Olympic Bronze in Women’s 1500 m Short‑Track
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King5 (Seattle, WA): Marshawn Lynch’s Video Boosts Oakland‑Born Alysa Liu’s Olympic Gold
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WBNS (Columbus, OH): Brittany Bowe finishes fourth in her final Olympic 1500 m race
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Alysa Liu Secures U.S. First Women’s Figure Skating Gold in 24 Years
(13 articles)
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BBC: Japan’s Youngest Skater Leads Women’s Figure Skating at Milan‑Cortina 2026
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Japan Dominates Short Program While U.S. Skaters Slip, Glenn Falls to 13th
(6 articles)
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King5 (Seattle, WA): Erin Jackson Prepares to Defend 500‑Meter Speed Skating Title at 2026 Milan‑Cortina Games
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Yonhap: Lee Hae-in finishes fifth at Four Continents in Beijing as Korea eyes Olympic berths
All related articles (25 articles)
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King5 (Seattle, WA): Corinne Stoddard Wins Olympic Bronze in Women’s 1500 m Short‑Track
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King5 (Seattle, WA): Marshawn Lynch’s Video Boosts Oakland‑Born Alysa Liu’s Olympic Gold
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WBNS (Columbus, OH): Brittany Bowe finishes fourth in her final Olympic 1500 m race
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AP: Alysa Liu Wins First U.S. Women’s Figure Skating Gold Since 2002
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AP: Alysa Liu Ends 24‑Year U.S. Drought with Olympic Figure Skating Gold
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Newsweek: Nathan Chen Commends Alysa Liu’s Olympic Gold in Milan
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AP: Alysa Liu ends 24‑year U.S. drought with women’s figure‑skating gold
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CNN: Alysa Liu Wins Gold with Carefree Performance at 2026 Winter Olympics
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King5 (Seattle, WA): Alysa Liu’s gold and U.S. comebacks dominate Milan Cortina Games
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WBNS (Columbus, OH): Alysa Liu Wins Olympic Gold After 2022 Retirement
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King5 (Seattle, WA): Alysa Liu Wins Olympic Gold Then Reflects on 2022 Retirement
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CNN: Alyssa Liu Captures U.S. Figure Skating Gold at Milan 2026
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WBNS (Columbus, OH): Alysa Liu Ends 24‑Year U.S. Drought with Olympic Figure Skating Gold
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King5 (Seattle, WA): Alysa Liu Ends 24‑Year U.S. Drought with Olympic Figure Skating Gold
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BBC: Alysa Liu Wins First U.S. Women’s Figure Skating Gold Since 2002
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CNN: Alysa Liu’s Return to Figure Skating Leads to Olympic Gold
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BBC: Japan’s Youngest Skater Leads Women’s Figure Skating at Milan‑Cortina 2026
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Newsweek: Amber Glenn’s Olympic Slip Highlights US‑Japan Figure Skating Gap
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AP: Japanese Skaters Lead While U.S. Team Falters in Olympic Short Program
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BBC: Japan Leads Women’s Figure Skating Short Program as Ami Nakai Wins
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King5 (Seattle, WA): U.S. “Blade Angels” Post Strong Scores in Olympic Short Program
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King5 (Seattle, WA): Erin Jackson Prepares to Defend 500‑Meter Speed Skating Title at 2026 Milan‑Cortina Games
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Yonhap: Lee Hae-in finishes fifth at Four Continents in Beijing as Korea eyes Olympic berths
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CNN: U.S. figure skaters head to Milan with champions and a tragedy survivor
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AP: Glenn wins third straight U.S. figure skating title as Olympic team picture tightens
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