Alyssa Liu: American star wins figure skating gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics

For a while, it looked like American champion Glenn might have made an Olympic comeback for the ages.

She was in 13th place after a disastrous short program left her in tears after she missed the triple loop, meaning she was scored a zero as an invalid item.

Glenn – who is open about her bisexuality and criticism of US President Donald Trump – has been a magnet for online backlash, and on Thursday she stepped out in Milan with a point to prove.

Despite taking a hard fall during the warm-up, she attacked her free skate, including a triple Axel to start and then a complex triple loop and double Axel sequence.

She punched the air in the finale, and even when she missed the medal, she had the body language of someone happy to bring her best to the Olympic stage.

The same cannot be said for Petrosyan, who was aiming to be the second individual neutral athlete (AIN) on the day to win a medal at Milano-Cortina 2026.

The teenager is under the tutelage of controversial Eteri Tutberidze – Kamila Valeeva’s coach at the last Olympics – who was on the rink while skating ahead of Petrosyan.

But the 18-year-old’s medal hopes were dashed in her first routine when she attempted a quadruple toe loop but fell.

If she had nailed her complex routine, it would probably be gold. Instead, Petrosyan remained stone-faced and quickly exited the stage when it was confirmed that she had missed the podium.