Alysa Liu and Ilia Malinin join 40-plus skaters in the Milan Cortina exhibition gala

MILAN (AP) — Alysa Liu had the opportunity to cherish skating on the same Olympic ice where she won two gold medals one more time.

Ilia Malinin had the chance to replace some disappointing memories with much better ones.

The two Americans were among more than 40 figure skaters who had competed during the Milan Cortina Games who took part in the traditional exhibition gala Saturday night, which not only serves to wrap up the program but to celebrate their entire sport.

No pressure, no stress. Just fun.

This edition of the gala inside a festive Milano Ice Skating Arena was broken down into four parts.

The opening act featured former Italian figure skater Carolina Kostner, who won a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Games. She performed a duet with a 3D projection that was meant to describe the journey of athletes, beginning with their first steps in their sport to the point at which “talent finds its home, merging with the skater,” and they ultimately “draw the very best from it.”

The second act gave the Winter Games athletes a chance to perform themselves.

But rather than competition routines, the skaters were able to show a little more of their personality with music and programs that ranged from classical music to “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns ‘n Roses to the score from the film “Mortal Kombat.”

Amber Glenn, who helped the U.S. defend its Olympic team gold medal, performed to “That’s Life” by Lady Gaga. The lyrics could hardly have been more fitting for the three-time and reigning national champion, who bounced back from a major mistake in her short program that cost her a shot at an individual medal by laying down one of the best free skates of her career.

Malinin performed to “FEAR” by American rapper, singer and songwriter NF, another selection that seemed altogether fitting.

The 21-year-old Malinin, who had been the clincher for the U.S. in the team event, was the heavy favorite to also win the men’s gold medal, especially after a winning short program. But Malinin struggled so mightily in his free skate that he failed to make the podium at all, and he later acknowledged that the weighty expectations had caused him to buckle.

Yet in even in defeat, Malinin managed to win over a whole new legion of fans with the way he comported himself. He was the first to congratulate Mikhail Shaidorov, who had won the gold medal, and then bravely answered every question lobbed at him.

“Even with that skate,” Malinin said, “the crowd never stopped cheering. They were there supporting me. It’s honestly why this is a very special sport, because not a lot of sports you have that privilege of not only being an athlete, but you’re also an artist.”

As tradition dictates, the gold medalists went last in the program.

Liu went last of all.

The 20-year-old from the San Francisco Bay area, who had been so burned out by skating after the 2022 Beijing Games that she had walked away, completed a remarkable two-year comeback by winning the first gold medal by an American woman since Sarah Hughes at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. And she did so on her own terms, embracing her own individualistic style while providing input on every aspect of her programs, from the music to the elements to the dresses she wore on the ice.

“I am just doing me, so it’s cool if I’m inspiring any other people,” said Liu, whose streaked hair and frenulum piercing grabbed so much attention during the Winter Games. “I just have a certain fashion sense and kind of stubborn with it, so it’ll always come through.”

The third act in the gala celebrated two teams: the host Italians and the winning Americans.

Finally, the penultimate night of the entire Winter Games ended with the customary grand finale. The final act featured all the athletes back on the ice for a choreographed program, and their final farewells to the Milan Cortina Olympics.

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics