The women's figure skating event kicked off with the short program on Tuesday, with Japan's Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto in the lead and U.S. reigning world champion Alysa Liu in 3rd. Next up is the free skate,

Ilia Malinin failed to medal in the biggest surprise of the 2026 Winter Olympics to date. The two-time reigning world champion had a disastrous free skate in which he fell and failed to deliver on a handful of technical aspects.

Japanese figure skating pair Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara finished fifth after a disappointing short programme at the Milano Cortina Olympics on Sunday, a result Miura framed as a mental test, stressing composure over points as they turned to Monday's free skate.

Malinin’s incredible performance in the Free Skate on Sunday helped give the United States its second straight Olympic gold in the Team Event, narrowly squeaking by the strong Japanese squad. Kagiyama actually posted a better score than Malinin in the Short Program late last week.

The Olympic gold medal will be awarded Friday at the conclusion of the Men's Free Skate Final, which will see Ilia Malinin attempt to add to a dazzling resume and reputation as the world's best in his sport.