Figure skating took center stage on Friday morning, with defending champion Team USA securing a narrow lead on the first day of the must-watch Winter Olympics event's three-day team competition.
The team event showcases 10 nations competing across women's and men's singles, pairs, and dance categories, with each performance earning team points based on leaderboard positions.
Reigning world champion Alysa Liu skated the women's short program for Team USA, with the 20-year-old scoring a 74.90 to finish second to Japanese favorite Kaori Sakamoto's 78.88 tally.
Japan also took first in the pair's skating short program, with Team USA's Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea coming in fifth, but it was US duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates who topped the morning's rhythm dance event with a season-high score of 91.06.
The US performances ultimately secured 25 team points, earning the nation a day-one lead with Japan (23 points) and Italy (22 points) close behind.
Despite earning points for their countries on Friday, this weekend could see several roster shifts as the field narrows to the Top 5 nations on Saturday, with each team allowed to swap out skaters in up to two categories prior to the free dance and free skates.
For Team USA, rumors have three-time national champion Amber Glenn taking over the women's singles spot in Sunday's free skate, though the swap is not officially confirmed.
"We all signed a NDA for that!" joked Liu when asked about the US roster plan in the lead-up to the team event.
How to watch Team USA figure skater Alysa Liu at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Team USA currently sits two points ahead of Japan heading into the second day of team competition. Five nations remain in contention to advance to the final round, with Italy, Georgia, and Canada also in the running.
Liu might return to the ice on Sunday, when the figure skating team event concludes with women's free skate at 2:45 PM ET, live across NBC and Peacock.
