Alysa Liu and Ami Nakai’s Embrace Is My Favorite 2026 Olympics Moment

The Olympics have given us many indelible scenes and moments, and the 2026 Winter Olympics have been no different. The USA women’s hockey team defeating Canada in sudden death overtime. Mikaela Shiffrin claiming gold in the slalom. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen winning Brazil’s first ever Winter Olympic medal, and gold to boot. The incredible accuracy of the British men’s curling team. And of course, Nazgul the wolfdog crossing the finish line.

But if I had to pick my favorite moment from the 2026 Winter Olympics, it’d be Alysa Liu and Ami Nakai’s joyous embrace at the women’s free skate. Liu delivered an amazing performance on the ice, and afterwards, as she was awaiting her score, exuded nothing but confidence — as if she had absolutely zero doubts that she’d be winning the gold. However, that didn’t prevent her from celebrating and affirming Nakai’s bronze medal. It was a tremendous display of camaraderie and sportsmanship that exemplifies the Olympic spirit as much as any athletic endeavor.

On a similar note, kudos to Amber Glenn for shielding Kaori Sakamoto from the camera. The Japanese skater was a heavy favorite to win gold but had to settle for silver after a slight mistake cost her the top spot, and she clearly needed a moment to process her feelings and frustration. Later, she joined Liu and Nakai in a delightful post-medal ceremony moment.