Olympics news, live updates: Team USA takes gold over Canada; Alysa Liu aims for medal in women’s free skate; Jordan Stolz takes silver in 1500m

Alysa Liu was almost flawless in her quick program. She’s now making ready for her free skate, which may ship Team USA its first medal in girls’s singles since 2006.

For now, although, her teammate, Amber Glenn, remains to be in first place after a bounce-back free skate.

Isabeau Levito’s first Olympics are in the books. She gained’t medal, however she had a memorable and significant expertise in Italy, the place her household ties run deep.

Here’s a take a look at her free skate:

Isabeau Levito fell on a triple flip to start out her free skate. She bounced again with a double axel after which a triple loop, nonetheless that opening fall value her, and her medal hopes.

Nonetheless, the 18-year-old’s potential to regain focus and preserve her balletic motion on the ice was commendable.

Levito completed her efficiency to a symphony of cheers from an appreciative crowd that features her mom, who immigrated to the U.S. from Milan.

She’s now in sixth place. Amber Glenn stays in first.

Isabeau Levito is a part of the third group of skaters taking part in Thursday’s free skate.

She was in eighth place after the quick program.

Two teams down and two to go in the free skate portion of the ladies’s singles.

Here’s the present prime eight, with the top-12 skaters from the quick program — together with the U.S.’ Isabeau Levito and Alysa Liu — nonetheless but to carry out:

1. Amber Glenn (USA) — 214.91

2. Shin Ji-a (KOR) — 206.68

3. Lara Naki Gutmann (ITA) — 195.75

4. Iida Karhunen (FIN) — 192.79

5. Julia Sauter (ROU) — 190.93

6. Olga Mikutina (AUT) — 185.59

7. Zhang Ruiyang (CHN) — 178.03

8. Ekaterina Kurakova (POL) — 173.37

Amber Glenn found some redemption Thursday in the free skate.

“Deep down, of course, I know I could have done better, but I told myself, ‘Enjoy it,’” Glenn instructed NBC’s Andrea Joyce. “And I had my moment in my spiral, and I told myself, ‘You just skated and stayed on your feet at the Olympics.’

“I am proud that I was able to have that moment.”

Joyce requested Glenn what allowed her to regain focus after what the three-time defending national champion had described as a “soul-crushing” short program.

“That 6-year-old girl that never thought I’d even be here,” Glenn mentioned, “I just told myself to go out there, do your job, and I was working toward being able to have that moment in the sequence. That was my reward. So, it was chasing a goal.”

The 26-year-old Amber Glenn was amped after placing on an unimaginable efficiency in her free skate.

Scott Hamilton, a 1984 Olympic gold medalist, instructed NBC’s Mike Tirico that Glenn’s program-opening triple axel was the very best he’s seen her land.

Just as she did throughout her quick program, Glenn landed a triple axel to start out her free skate.

Then she executed a triple flip and triple toe mixture.

Glenn cruised via her leaping passes with class but additionally energy.

As a part of an impressive sequence, she hit a redemptive triple loop.

During the final leap of her free skate — one other triple loop — she misplaced factors on her touchdown, however that didn’t diminish her admirable efficiency.

She earned 147.52 points on her free skate, slingshotting her to first place. But the top-12 skaters nonetheless have but to take the ice.

Regardless of the place she finally ends up on the finish, her free skate might be remembered.

Isabeau Levito nonetheless has some time earlier than her free skate, however she stopped for an NBC interview.

“I think I want it to just look beautiful,” Levito mentioned, when requested about her hopes for her free skate.

“I just want it to look elegant and pretty, and that’s my plan tonight.”

Levito has prolonged household in Milan, together with her grandmother. She ended the quick program in eighth place.

The second group of free skaters are warming up. Amber Glenn is amongst them.

She’s trying to bounce again from a disappointing conclusion to her quick program, which noticed her pop her deliberate triple loop and as an alternative land a double loop that value her as many as seven factors.

She entered Thursday’s free skate in thirteenth place.

Here are the skaters developing:

Isabeau Levito is eighteen years outdated and in her first Olympics.

She paid homage to her Milanese roots on Tuesday in the quick program, skating to picks from motion pictures starring Milan’s personal Sophia Loren.

She earned a rating of 70.84 that positioned her eighth.

If you missed her Olympic debut, you’ll be able to watch it right here:

Alysa Liu shined during her short program.

The reigning world champion executed a near-flawless program to Laufey’s “Promise,” recording a rating of 76.59 that ultimately had her third getting into the free skate. She has an opportunity to develop into the primary American to medal in girls’s singles in 20 years.

Liu, 20, is a free spirit who took time away from the sport, and he or she’s been higher than ever in her return.

On Tuesday, she balanced her exuberance with a fluid gracefulness in her first skate of the person occasion.

Check it out right here:

Amber Glenn landed a triple axel. Her quick program was proper on monitor until she bailed out of a triple loop.

Missing that factor value her as many as seven factors and finally dropped her to thirteenth in the ladies’s single standings.

But Glenn remains to be collaborating in the free skate, and the three-time defending nationwide champion is gunning for her glad Olympics second.

“I’m just going to try and have it no matter how the elements go today. I want to remember that I never even thought that I’d get here,” Glenn instructed NBC on Thursday. “So, that in itself, is an accomplishment — and doing it as my authentic self and standing for what I believe in.

“Even though it has been a treacherous journey, I am here, and I want to enjoy that.”

It’s lastly time for the ladies’s free skate. The skaters with the top-24 scores from the quick program superior to the free skate.

That group contains three Americans, dubbed because the “Blade Angels”: Alysa Liu, Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn.

Liu has a legit shot at successful the gold medal. A U.S. lady determine skater hasn’t medaled in this occasion since 2006 when Sasha Cohen took silver.

Here’s the highest eight getting into the free skate:

2. Kaori Sakamoto (Japan): 77.23

4. Mone Chiba (Japan): 74.00

5. Adeliia Petrosian (AIN): 72.89

6. Anastasiia Gubanova (Georgia): 71.77

7. Loena Hendrickx (Belgium): 70.93

8. Isabeau Levito (USA): 70.84

The 21-year-old Stolz gained earlier in these Olympics with gold medal performances in the men’s 500m and 1,000m. He added a silver on Thursday in the 1500m ending 0.77 behind China’s Ning Zhongyan.

Stolz has one competitors left in his debut Games, Saturday’s mass begin occasion.

Read more here.

Team USA women’s curling entered Thursday with a easy process: Win, and also you’re in. With a victory over Switzerland, the United States would assure itself a spot in the playoffs.

There have been just a few different methods issues may work out for the Americans, however they did not have to fret about these. Team USA secured their spot in the playoffs with a slim 7-6 win over Switzerland that got here all the way down to a clutch hammer from Tabitha Peterson in an additional finish.

The U.S. will meet the Swiss once more in Friday’s semifinal, the primary time they’ve reached the medal spherical since 2002. Canada will tackle Sweden in the opposite semifinal.

Read more here.

A well-placed hammer by Alina Paetz tied issues up in the tenth finish. Switzerland took three factors, sending issues to an additional finish.

While the Americans misplaced some momentum in the tenth finish, they maintain the hammer in the additional finish. That may show an enormous benefit.

The Americans discover themselves in good condition to make the playoffs. Team USA holds a three-point lead heading into the ultimate finish vs. Switzerland.

The Americans simply must keep away from a collapse to advance. Switzerland does maintain the hammer, although, so Team USA can’t breathe comfortably simply but.

With Switzerland needing an enormous finish, they got here up a bit of quick. Switzerland nonetheless managed to take some extent in the eighth finish, however path 5-3 getting into the ninth finish.

Team USA has the hammer in the ninth finish and have an opportunity to probably put the match out of attain if they’ll take a number of factors in the tip.