Known as the “Blade Angels,” Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito have been the topic of social media affection throughout the Winter Olympic Games. They make up the U.S. Women’s Figure Skating team, making a name for themselves due to their technical precision and creativity.
The “Blade Angels” stand out in a sport that still values traditional views of femininity, but that doesn’t stop them from being wholeheartedly themselves.
The women’s individual skating competition comprises of two programs, the short program and the free skate. The short program is strict; the skater must perform certain jumps or combinations to receive points. Any other jump or combination will not count for points. The free skate allows for more freedom as the skater has more time and has looser requirements for their program.
The two programs are scored on two components. First is the Technical Element Score (TES), focusing only on the execution and difficulty of all technical components the skater attempts in the given program. Next comes the Program Component Score (PCS), focusing on composition, presentation, and skating skills. These make up a Total Segment Score (TSS), which, after deducting points for errors, is how the skater is ranked and can qualify for the podium. The TSS for the short program and freestyle skate are added together and determine the final gold, silver, and bronze medal skaters.
This year’s short program was nothing short of nerve-racking for the U.S. women’s team. First up was Alysa Liu, who placed third in the short after reprising her viral skate to Laufey’s “Promise” in a performance that could only be defined as a love letter to figure skating itself.
Isabeau Levito followed shortly after, placing 8th in a joyous Olympic debut performance that perfectly encapsulated her Italian heritage and dubbed her a true “Ice Princess” by viewers worldwide. As a likely contender for gold going into the short program, Amber Glenn performed last for the U.S. to Madonna’s iconic “Like a Prayer.”
Despite landing an impressive triple axel early in her program, Glenn’s performance shattered hearts everywhere when she committed a critical error. She missed one rotation in her required triple loop jump, and lost out on a potential 7 points on the table. This error cost Glenn a shot at the podium and placed her in 13th place, a ranking that many would consider almost impossible to come back from.
Glenn had been under immense pressure coming into the Olympics. As the first queer athlete to represent the U.S. in singles figure skating, and being the oldest female athlete in 98 years to do so, all eyes were on her. It didn’t help that she leans into a more athletic skating style, garnering a lot of pushback in a sport that values traditional femininity.
Glenn is a trailblazer, and though she fell short in her first program, she never stopped striving for perfection. In the freestyle skate, she put up a strong performance that no one would have expected from her at this stage. She nailed every technical component, skated with gorgeous conviction and fought her way to a well earned fifth place spot at the end of the competition.
It was this display of perseverance and dedication that won over the hearts of viewers online.
Glenn was not the only one who gained traction online after her freeskate, however. Two time olympian Liu made waves online after her stunning freestyle skate performance. In a nail-biting race between Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai, Alysa Liu entered the freestyle skate competition in third place, and left as a gold medalist.
Liu has been an internet sensation since the beginning of this year’s Olympics. A technical powerhouse, she had garnered attention because of her endearing authenticity, sporting bleached rings in her hair and a frenulum “smiley” piercing.
She made headlines when she retired after her first Olympic appearance at just 16 years old. This year, she came back better than ever and proved to all the doubters that she has what it takes to take home Olympic Gold, smiling the whole way through.
It is due to her and her individuality that the U.S. is finally relieved from a 24 year olympic drought without a gold medal in Women’s individual figure skating.
The joy Liu skates with is infectious, shown by Levito. Levito didn’t make as many headlines but she showed enthusiasm in all she did. Her performances are homages to her personality and her heritage. Though she fell in her program and fell short of the podium, Levito finds joy in the little things, even just existing in the Olympic village, a joy that extends into her performances.
The “Blade Angels” can teach important lessons. They are a testament to the importance of perseverance, individuality and heart. Through their viral Instagram clips and subversion of traditional femininity, they prove that medals matter, but true power comes from being unabashedly yourself.