{"id":88517,"date":"2026-02-19T18:42:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T21:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/the-blade-angels-take-the-ice\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T18:42:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T21:42:45","slug":"the-blade-angels-take-the-ice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/the-blade-angels-take-the-ice\/","title":{"rendered":"The ‘Blade Angels’ take the ice"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Hello from Milan and Cortina, where Team USA\u2019s \u201cBlade Angels\u201d began the women\u2019s figure skating competition. <\/em>Alysa Liu<\/strong><\/em> skated as if floating on air and finished the day in third place, <\/em>Isabeau Levito<\/strong><\/em> had a solid performance and now sits eighth, and <\/em>Amber Glenn<\/strong><\/em> missed a triple loop, which left her in 13th.<\/em><\/p>\n

All three will get a chance to improve during Thursday\u2019s free skate segment. Our correspondents have it all covered below and at <\/em>NBC News<\/em><\/a>. Catch it all streaming on <\/em>Peacock<\/em><\/a>.<\/em> <\/p>\n

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Live from Milan Cortina<\/h2>\n

After Amber Glenn<\/strong> finished her routine in the short program today, she clutched her chest and breathed heavily at the center of the ice. She already knew she\u2019d made a mistake. <\/p>\n

She had nailed her triple axel, the hardest jump of the program. But later she had landed a double loop when it should have been a triple loop. That was marked as an invalid element that earned her zero points.<\/p>\n

As she skated off, she burst into tears. She hugged her coach and lamented the missed opportunity. <\/p>\n

\u201cI had it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

<\/picture>
USA’s Amber Glenn reacts in the kiss and cry area after competing in the figure skating women’s single skating short program during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 17, 2026.<\/span>Wang Zhao \/ AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Earlier, Isabeau Levito<\/strong>, whose grandmother lives in Milan, made her Olympic debut with a routine that delighted the crowd with beautiful spins and extensions.<\/p>\n

But the top American was Alysa Liu<\/strong>, <\/a>whose routine looked effortless and included a difficult triple lutz, triple loop combination, giving her a score of 76.59.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really confident in myself,\u201d she said afterward, explaining her calm demeanor. \u201cEven if I mess up and fall, that\u2019s totally OK too. I don\u2019t know, I\u2019m fine with any outcome so long as I\u2019m out there \u2014 and I am, so there\u2019s nothing to lose.\u201d <\/p>\n

The only skaters who performed better were Ami Nakai<\/strong> (78.71) and Kaori Sakamoto<\/strong> (77.23) of Japan. Liu might be Team USA\u2019s best shot at gold. An American woman hasn\u2019t won gold in women\u2019s singles figure skating in more than two decades. <\/p>\n

\"Figure<\/picture>
Alysa Liu of United States performs during the Short Program on February 17, 2026 in Milan, Italy.<\/span>Yara Nardi \/ Reuters<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Elsewhere, in the speedskating team pursuit final, the Italians upset Team USA,<\/a> leaving the Americans with silver. The American women also lost the bronze medal team pursuit race to Japan. <\/p>\n

Germany dominated <\/a>the two-man bobsled competition and swept the podium \u2014 earning gold, silver and bronze medals \u2014 for the second straight Olympics. <\/p>\n

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Athlete Spotlight<\/h2>\n
\"Mac<\/picture>
United States’ Mac Forehand practices before the men’s freestyle skiing big air finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 17, 2026.<\/span>Gregory Bull \/ AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a thrilling men\u2019s freeski big air final, Team USA\u2019s Mac Forehand<\/strong> needed a big score on his third and final run if he wanted a gold medal. He had been the top qualifier but was now trailing Norway\u2019s Tormod Frostad<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

Forehand came up clutch, landing a 2160-degree nose-butter triple cork, earning a score of 98.25 that vaulted him past Frostad.<\/p>\n

But moments later, on the final run of the night, Frostad responded with a score of 98.50, stealing the lead right back from Forehand.<\/a><\/p>\n

After Frostad\u2019s score came in, the crowd went wild, and Forehand gave him a hug. Frostad had won gold, Forehand silver. As NBC cameras took in the scene, microphones picked up someone on the ground, presumably one of the skiers, saying: \u201cOh my God. \u2026 That was nuts!\u201d<\/p>\n

Forehand told reporters that he contemplated choosing a safer trick for his third run, knowing he was already guaranteed a medal, \u201cbecause these tricks are so dangerous and so gnarly.\u201d <\/p>\n

But he decided he had to go big.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t do that. I had to fight for the gold,\u201d Forehand said. \u201cI was in that moment. It\u2019s hard to be in that position ever again. Like, second place, last run, you have to go, you have to bump the first-place person out.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ilia Speaks<\/h2>\n
\"Ilia<\/picture>
Ilia Malinin of Team United States competes in the Men Single Skating on day seven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 13, 2026, in Milan.<\/span>Joosep Martinson \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ilia Malinin<\/strong> admitted today he was \u201cnot ready\u201d for the spotlight on him at the Olympics.<\/p>\n

In an interview on \u201cTODAY,\u201d<\/a> Malinin said the immense expectations on him heading into the Olympics played a role in his mistake-filled free skate performance, which dropped him from first to eighth in the men\u2019s individual event.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, it\u2019s not a pleasant feeling is the most honest way to say it,\u201d Malinin said of the high expectations. \u201cSo many eyes, so much attention. It really can get to you if you\u2019re not ready to fully embrace it. That may be one of the mistakes I made. I was not ready to handle that to the fullest extent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Can Malinin rebound from his subpar performance? NBC News spoke with sports psychologists<\/a>, including one who worked with Simone Biles, who believe he can recover mentally. <\/p>\n

\u201cHis reality is that he experienced something embarrassing and humbling,\u201d said Michael Heck<\/strong>, a sports therapist. \u201cBut through the mindset of excellence, you take this as a really difficult part of your process. You can really learn from being humbled.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo of the Day<\/h2>\n
\"Davide<\/picture>
Davide Ghiotto and Michele Malfatti of Team Italy compete in final A of the Speed Skating Men’s Team Pursuit on day eleven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Speed Skating Stadium on Feb. 17, 2026 in Milan, Italy.<\/span>Jamie Squire \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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When to Watch<\/h2>\n

Highlights tomorrow include Mikaela Shiffrin\u2019s<\/strong> last, best chance at a medal when she competes in women\u2019s slalom, and the U.S. men\u2019s hockey team will play its quarterfinal game.<\/p>\n

All times are in Eastern, and an asterisk signifies a medal event:<\/p>\n

Wednesday, Feb. 18<\/strong><\/p>\n