Kristi Yamaguchi hopes "Blade Angels" can break U.S. individual figure skating medal drought: They "are ready"
CBSN
As the women's figure skating got going Tuesday at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, former world champion and Olympic gold medal winner Kristi Yamaguchi was optimistic about the chances of a medal from a trio of American skaters. In:
As the women's figure skating got going Tuesday at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, former world champion and Olympic gold medal winner Kristi Yamaguchi was optimistic about the chances of a medal from a trio of American skaters.
An American woman hasn't won an individual Olympic skating medal in two decades, but Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito — collectively known as the "Blade Angels" — are hoping to change that. Before the event got underway, Yamaguchi herself said there was a chance they could even sweep.
"I'm not gonna say that is going to happen," Yamaguchi said, "But, for sure, Amber: reigning U.S. champion right now. And then Alysa Liu: reigning world champion. A great chance of being on the podium. Maybe at the top."
But unfortunately for Glenn, she couldn't complete her triple loop — a costly mistake that dropped her into 13th place in the standings after the short program. Liu was in third place while Levito was in eighth headed into the free skate on Thursday.
"It's imperative to have a clean short," Yamaguchi said before the event started. "Missing one element is so detrimental, and you want to set yourself up right for a chance at a medal, at the gold."

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