Only USA's Alysa Liu broke up Japan's trio of Ami Nakai, Kaori Sakamoto and Mone Chiba, who finished first, second and fourth after the short program.
Japan won its first Olympic pairs gold and Georgia earned its first Winter Games medal at Milan Cortina 2026, rewriting figure skating history.
Last updated: Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. ET Top takeaway: Norway has stretched its lead to 14 gold medals and 31 total medals, while host Italy is up to 9 gold (24 total) and Team USA has climbed to 6 gold (21 total) as another wave of finals hits the standings
In her final Olympic appearance, Japan's Kaori Sakamoto will be facing some stiff competition from her own teammates at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games.
Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany took a sizable lead in the Olympic pairs figure skating short program in Milano-Cortina, topping a tightly contested field ahead of Monday’s free skate.
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Japan sets new Winter Olympic medal record with 19
Japan has set a new record for the most medals in its history by winning its 19th medal at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, surpassing its previous best of 18 medals from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Every Olympic Games brings together the best athletes from around the world. At the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, about 2,900 athletes are competing across 116 events. Only a small group will leave with medals.
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