Ami Nakai, Alysa Liu embrace after medaling at Winter Olympics

Story byAmi Nakai, Alysa Liu embrace after medaling at Winter OlympicsKevin Skiver, USA TODAYFri, February 20, 2026 at 8:38 AM UTC·1 min readOne of the most endearing things about the women's singles free skate finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics was the simple reminder that sports are fun. While Alysa Liu embodied that in her seemingly effortlessly graceful routine, the silver and bronze medalists in Japan are representing two generations of skate in the Land of the Rising Sun. Silver medalist Kaori Sakamoto and bronze medalist Ami Nakai stood alongside Liu on the podium as a triumvirate. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementREQUIRED READING: Alysa Liu is happiest figure skater on Earth — and Olympic championIt was a sweet moment away from the podium, however, that showed what the moment meant to gold and bronze. A clip was shared of Nakai jumping in excitement and Liu embracing her and hoisting her off the ground before just letting the moment take over and jumping for joy together. See the best moments from the Women's figure skating free skate as Alysa Liu wins a Gold medal to end a 20-year drought for American women. USA's Alysa Liu competes in the Women's figure skating free skate on Feb.