The women’s singles figure skating competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics will be completed on Thursday in Milan. Eventually, the standings will be determined after Thursday’s free skate. The scores from the short programme and free skating will be combined to decide the medals.
Winter Olympics women’s single free skating event schedule and format
The Olympic women’s singles event is held in two segments:
Short programme: February 17
Free skating (medal round): February 19
The higher scoring value is carried by the free skate which has a longer routine.
Winter Olympics women’s single free skating leaders after short programme
In 2026, women’s free skating captures hearts but veils the broader issue: does the glam distract from the athleticism? When will we stop valuing style over substance and give these athletes the recognition they deserve beyond glitter and grace?
— Tio Rapha (@oraphael89) February 19, 2026
Following the short programme earlier this week, the competition remains tightly contested:
1st: Ami Nakai (Japan)
2nd: Kaori Sakamoto (Japan)
3rd: Alysa Liu (USA)
Yesterday at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Japanese figure skater Kaori Sakamoto once again delivered a stunning short program to Time to Say Goodbye.
Skating with power, precision and emotion, her performance brought new dimension to the iconic song.
— Sarah Brightman (@SarahBrightman) February 18, 2026
The Olympic figure skating allows the athletes to take a shot at more complex jumps and combinations. Skaters receive a 1.1x base value bonus for jumps executed in the second half of the program, encouraging risk-heavy layouts that can boost Technical Element Scores and dramatically impact final standings.
2026 Winter Olympics women’s single free skating contenders to watch
Kaori Sakamoto – the experienced Japanese skater known for consistency under pressure
Ami Nakai – the current leader after the short programme
Alysa Liu – the leading American contender for the podium
Here is the full list of skaters competing
Ami Nakai
Kaori Sakamoto
Alysa Liu
Mona Chiba
Adeliia Petrosian
Anastasiia Gubanova
Loena Hendrickx
Isabeau Levito
Haein Lee
Niina Petrokina
Nina Pinzarrone
Sofia Samodelkina
Amber Glenn
Jia Shin
Iida Karhunen
Julia Sauter
Olga Mikutina
Lara Naki Gutmann
Ekaterina Kurakova
Ruiyang Zhang
Kimmy Repond
Mariia Seniuk
Livia Kaiser
Lorine Schild
Covering sports for fun. Cricket in whites remains the first love—the kind that teaches patience, rewards nuance, and tells stories over five days rather than five seconds.
