Ami Nakai just tore through Saatva Skate America in Everett, Washington, pulling off a world-leading total score of 236.81 points and immediately seizing the top spot in women’s figure skating. With Alysa Liu taking the season off and Kaori Sakamoto having retired, the new Olympic cycle had a massive void at the top, and Nakai is not messing around, completing a clean sweep of her two Grand Prix regular season events.
Nakai’s Triple Axel Power Play
This wasn’t just a win, folks. This was a statement. Nakai, the Olympic bronze medalist, landed a triple Axel in both programs. Think about that: consistent, high-level execution that absolutely blew the competition away. Her 236.81 points isn’t just a win, it’s the world’s top total score on this young season, already surpassing fellow countrywoman Mao Shimada’s best. She won by a mind-boggling 22.91 points over Alexandra Ignatova, the 2022 Olympic silver medalist who’s also a mother to a one year old, who finished runner-up for her second straight Grand Prix event. Nakai didn’t just win a title, she punched her ticket to December’s Grand Prix Final, the biggest event of the fall that gathers the world’s top six per discipline from the entire Grand Prix series. This kid was the breakout star of the 2025-26 Olympic season, beating Sakamoto at 17 in her senior Grand Prix debut, placing second at the 2025 senior Grand Prix Final, and even topping the short program at the Olympics before grabbing that bronze medal. She’s got the fire, she’s got the talent, and she’s coming for everything.
A Four-Year Sprint to Gold
Nakai isn’t just riding the wave, she’s planning the whole damn tsunami. At an annual October press conference, Japan’s top skaters write their theme for the season on a whiteboard, and Nakai’s message, according to Nikkan Sports, was “sprinting through the next four years.” Talk about clear intentions! She told us, “I ran through the Milan Olympics in about a year, so it really went by in a flash. For the next Olympics, I have four years to prepare properly, so I want to spend those four years with determination and care.” That’s a focused athlete right there, ready to put in the work. Her biggest tests at the Grand Prix Final are probably going to come from her own teammates: Shimada, the four-time reigning world junior champion, and two-time world medalist Mone Chiba have both won other Grand Prix events this season. And donat count out Ignatova, who could be a real contender at the Final if her quadruple Lutz is on point.
Where Are Our Americans?
The U.S. has been a Grand Prix Final staple, putting at least one woman in each of the last five Finals since 2019, with Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu winning the last two. But this year, it’s looking dicey. Amber Glenn is sitting out the Grand Prix season to compete on Dancing with the Stars, which is wild. Isabeau Levito, one of our 2026 Olympic blade angels, finished third in her first Grand Prix in Canada. She’s going to need to win this week’s Grand Prix in Finland to even have a shot at making the Final. If you want to catch the Grand Prix Finland drama live, tune into Peacock on Friday and Saturday. The stakes are high for Levito, and the Grand Prix Final is shaping up to be an absolute must-watch event, with Nakai already looking like the skater to beat.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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