1927 – Amber Glenn becomes the oldest U.S. ladies’ singles skater to qualify for the Olympics, a record not seen since that year, underscoring the rarity of her longevity in the sport [4].

2002 – Sarah Hughes wins the U.S. women’s Olympic gold, establishing the last American gold in women’s figure skating before Liu’s 2023 world title, a benchmark Liu hopes to match [3].

2005 – Michelle Kwan captures her third consecutive U.S. national title, a feat later matched by Amber Glenn in 2026, highlighting the difficulty of sustained dominance [4].

2023 – Alysa Liu captures the World Championship after returning from retirement, positioning her as a leading contender for Olympic gold and fueling her “beyond my skating” narrative [3].

2025 – Danny O’Shea competes at the World Championships despite a broken foot, demonstrating resilience that carries into his Olympic debut in Milan [2].

Jan 10, 2026 – Amber Glenn wins her third straight U.S. title with a 233.55‑point free skate, becoming the first skater since Michelle Kwan (2005) to achieve a three‑peat and positioning her as a favorite for Milan, while Alysa Liu finishes second and praises Glenn’s hard work, saying “she trains hard and deserves a clean skate” [4].

Jan 10, 2026 – Isabeau Levito claims bronze at U.S. nationals with a season‑best 224.45 points, keeping her in contention for one of the three U.S. Olympic women’s spots [4].

Jan 10, 2026 – Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov defend their U.S. pairs title amid a near‑miss on a triple toe loop, but Efimova’s pending U.S. citizenship creates uncertainty over her Olympic participation, prompting a potential last‑minute decision for a second pairs berth [4].

Jan 11, 2026 – The U.S. Figure Skating Association schedules the official Olympic team announcement for Sunday, finalizing the three‑woman roster and deciding whether Efimova/Mitrofanov can fill a second pairs slot [4].

Jan 12, 2026 – Maxim Naumov, a tragedy survivor who rebuilt his coaching team after his parents’ fatal plane crash, wins bronze at U.S. nationals and secures an Olympic berth, illustrating his comeback narrative [2].

Jan 12, 2026 – Ilia Malinin captures his fourth U.S. men’s title with a quad‑heavy program, reinforcing his status as the “Quad God” heading into Milan [2].

Jan 12, 2026 – Alysa Liu, after retiring post‑2022 Olympics, returns to win the 2023 world title and now competes in Milan, stating her goal is to “perform my programs and share my story,” not merely to beat the Japanese skaters [2][3].

Jan 12, 2026 – The U.S. women’s Olympic team is set to include Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu, and Isabeau Levito, with Glenn becoming the oldest U.S. ladies’ Olympian since 1927 and continuing to attempt the triple Axel [2].

Jan 12, 2026 – Pairs team Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea earn Olympic spots despite O’Shea’s recent broken foot, while Emily Chan and Spencer Howe also qualify, with Howe serving in the U.S. Army, highlighting the blend of athletic and military commitments on the U.S. roster [2].

Feb 17, 2026 – In the women’s short program at the Milan‑Cortina Games, 17‑year‑old Ami Nakai posts a season‑best 78.71 to lead the field, followed by Kaori Sakamoto (77.23) and Alysa Liu (76.59), establishing Japan’s depth and putting the U.S. skaters on the back foot [1][3].

Feb 17, 2026 – Alysa Liu emphasizes her personal narrative over podium rivalry, saying “my goal is to perform my programs and share my story,” and notes she remains within striking distance of a medal, echoing her “beyond my skating” sentiment from her world‑title run [3].

Feb 17, 2026 – Isabeau Levito drops to eighth after a step‑sequence level loss, scoring 70.84 points, while Amber Glenn falls to 13th after a doubled triple loop yields zero points, jeopardizing her medal hopes and illustrating the U.S. team’s struggles [3].

Feb 17, 2026 – Russian skater Adeliia Petrosian competes as a neutral athlete (AIN), delivers a clean program with a double axel, triple lutz and triple flip‑triple toe loop, and expresses satisfaction with her score despite mixed audience reaction [1][3].

Feb 17, 2026 – Japan secures three top‑four spots in the short program, with Mone Chiba scoring 74.00 points, positioning the nation for a possible podium sweep in the upcoming free skate [3].

Feb 18, 2026 – The women’s free skate is scheduled for Thursday, offering the Japanese leaders a chance to extend their dominance and giving U.S. skaters like Liu and Levito a final opportunity to climb back into medal contention [1][3].