Alysa Liu is pure joy. That was clear to see during Thursday’s women’s free skate program at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Liu came into Thursday’s event in third place after Tuesday’s short program. Her routine on Thursday was flawless, as she finished with a score of 226.79 to win the gold, her first individual Olympic medal.
Japan’s Ami Nakai went last on Thursday, and everyone patiently waited to hear Nakai’s score to figure out who would be winning the gold medal. Nakai ended with a score of 219.16 to win the bronze medal.
Immediately after Nakai’s score was announced, Liu ran over to her and gave her a huge hug to celebrate. Yes, it’s a big moment for Liu winning gold, but she looked equally as excited for Nakai medaling in the event, too. What a classy move by the 20-year-old American.
This moment between Alysa Liu and Ami Nakai after their gold and bronze finish in free skate 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Bs5i9dtHEq
— espnW (@espnW) February 19, 2026
THE LOVE BETWEEN AMBER GLENN AND ALYSA LIU. 💛 #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/LiRnyM4tar
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 19, 2026
After hugging Nakai and her coaches, Liu then embraced her Team USA teammate Amber Glenn. It’s clear the two teammates share a great respect for one another.
Glenn was originally seen as the medal-hopeful, but her short program score on Tuesday created difficulty for her to medal on Thursday. Glenn did hold the top spot for quite a while on Thursday after she scored 147.52, the third best score in free skate. She finished in fifth place.
After Liu’s gold medal win, Glenn was ecstatic for her teammate.
“I’m so proud of her and the message this is going to send to young athletes and parents alike that if you consider your mental health and treat it right, great things can happen,” Glenn told NBC’s Greg Rosenstein.
U.S. figure skating star Amber Glenn just missed the podium tonight but she said she was “so proud” to see teammate Alysa Liu take gold. pic.twitter.com/NyHhM9B7tL
— Greg Rosenstein (@grosenstein) February 19, 2026
More Winter Olympics on Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s Olympics podcast, Daily Rings, below or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Alysa Liu Shared Classy Moment With Ami Nakai, Amber Glenn After Winning Olympic Gold.
