MILAN (AP) — Alysa Liu is left to bear the ambitions of the American figure skating team on Thursday night, when the last of the “Blade Angels” with a legitimate shot at the Olympic gold medal tries to catch Japanese teammates Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto during the women’s free skate at the Milan Cortina Games.

Alysa Liu of the United States competes during the women's figure skating free program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 19, 2026.

The 20-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area, who had walked away from the sport after the Beijing Games four years ago only to launch a remarkable comeback, finished with a career-best 226.79 poin...