Ami Nakai: “Originally, my goal was the Olympics four years from now, not Milano-Cortina. So this time, I thought of it as an extra chance.”
Ami Nakai, who won bronze in her Olympic debut at the Milano-Cortina Games, became a national sensation with her triple Axel and fearless attitude, reflecting on her journey, challenges, and future ambitions.
original source: number.bunshun.jp dd. 2nd March 2026 by Yoshie Noguchi
Ami Nakai, who won bronze in women’s figure skating at the Milano-Cortina Olympics, made her Olympic debut by landing a triple axel and declaring, “Nervous? Not even a bit.” At 17, she became a Cinderella story. How did Nakai’s journey begin? Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Sports Graphic Number Web.
One night as she neared the end of sixth grade, after practice, Nakai got into a car driven by her mother and left Niigata. She waved out the window until her father was out of sight. Upon entering junior high, she left her hometown for Chiba’s MF Academy.
“Once I started competing at the All-Japan Novice level, I was overwhelmed by the skill gap with skaters from other regions. I knew I couldn’t stay as I was. I wanted to grow, and with my family’s support, my mother and I moved to Chiba.”
Separated from her beloved sister and father, Nakai’s family life was split in two, but she remained strong.
“I was anxious about the new environment, but the excitement of growing outweighed it. Takagi Yō, who I’d competed with since I was little, was there, so that reassured me. I quickly made many skating friends.”
Nakai’s home rink in Niigata, the MGC Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Ice Arena, was the prefecture’s first year-round rink, opened in 2014. Nakai became the first international-level skater from Niigata. The main reason for her move was the triple axel.
“Since I was little, I admired Mao Asada. By the end of fifth grade, I started practicing the triple axel. My coach in Niigata used a harness to help me get the feel, but even when I landed on one foot, I was under-rotated. My success rate in competition wasn’t good.”
Wanting to master the triple axel, and aim for the world stage, Nakai moved to MF Academy, where she could train with top skaters from across Japan under multiple coaches, including Kensuke Nakaniwa. Coincidentally, triple axel jumper Rinka Watanabe also transferred there that April.
“From Coach Nakaniwa, I especially learned how to use my arms, which helped me land the jump without under-rotation. Rinka and I would take turns jumping triple axels, competing with each other. Rinka is strong in competition, so I tried to emulate her focus in practice.”
After mastering the triple axel, Nakai placed third at the 2023 World Junior Championships and won back-to-back Junior Grand Prix events in the 2023–24 season. However, a back injury in November led to a 10th-place finish at the 2023 Japanese JuniorChampionshps and missing out on a spot at Nationals. This injury became a turning point.
“Until then, I could do anything and was always energetic, so I never cared for my body. But as I grew, I got taller, and that led to injury. I changed my mindset to focus on building a body that wouldn’t get injured and on daily care.”
She shifted from pushing through fatigue to taking proper rest and refreshing both body and mind.
“When I’m really tired, I just sleep all day and scroll through social media. When I’m feeling good, I go shopping or to Disneyland with my sister. I also love makeup – watching online videos and copying them, or talking about cosmetics.”
To recover from her back pain, Nakai trained at Toronto’s Cricket Club, Yuzuru Hanyu’s base, in the summers of 2024 and 2025. There, she worked on skating basics and, under Brian Orser and others, began training the quadruple toe loop, using a harness to get the feel.
“The coaches taught me various approaches to using my arms and shoulders, comparing my movements to those of skaters who can land quads. I got a sense for the quad and learned what I need to fix, so I want to keep practicing.”
In her first senior season, Nakai won the GP de France, beating Kaori Sakamoto, and quickly became a top Olympic candidate.
“I suddenly became aware of the Olympics and couldn’t sleep, even became afraid to compete. Originally, my goal was the Olympics four years from now, not Milano-Cortina. So this time, I thought of it as an extra chance and decided not to focus on Olympic selection, just to do my best at Nationals.”
By managing the pressure, she placed fourth at Nationals and secured her Olympic spot. From there, Nakai charged toward an Olympic medal.
“I see all this attention as proof I’m being recognized, so I’m really happy. I want to take the attention positively, not as pressure. If I face and overcome this fear, I’ll feel I’ve grown. It’s only my first year as a senior, and my career is long, so I want to treat the Olympics as a starting point.”
With that mindset, she arrived in Italy on February 10. Sakamoto sent her a “packing list” and advised, “It’s good to have a body pillow,” so Nakai brought her own. Her first practice at the main rink on the 12th was full of smiles.
“It was fun! My axel felt great, and I liked the venue. I wasn’t scared. It’s my first Olympics, so I have nothing to lose – my goal is to enjoy it as much as possible.”
In the Olympic Village, she enjoyed trading pins with overseas athletes and was amazed by the free drink vending machines: “You just tap and it comes out!”
On February 17, in the women’s short program, Nakai, skating first in the third group, landed a triple axel and delivered a perfect performance, scoring 78.71 points and unexpectedly taking the lead.
“I wasn’t scared at all – I was really looking forward to it. Landing the triple axel on the Olympic stage felt like, ‘My dream just came true!’ It was the best moment of my life.”
After a day’s break, she skated last in the free skate. In official practice that evening, she repeatedly attempted the triple axel, sometimes landing on both feet after 1.5 rotations. It looked like nerves, but that wasn’t the case.
“I wasn’t nervous at all. I was just focusing on the timing of the rotation, not on landing it cleanly.”
Rather than tiring herself out with too many attempts, she calmly checked her timing.
In the actual free skate, she landed the opening triple axel cleanly. However, her planned triple-triple combination became a triple-double, and some landings were tight, resulting in a few mistakes. Nakai tilted her head and touched her cheek with her finger – a now-legendary pose that came out naturally.
“I was happy to land the triple axel, but frustrated by the small mistakes. I wondered if I’d get a medal.”
Her score of 219.16 earned her the bronze. It took her a moment to realize she was third, and she confirmed it by showing three fingers to Alysa Liu in the Champions’ seats. When Liu nodded, Nakai’s joy exploded.
“I was really surprised. I wondered if it was real.”
Liu hugged her, saying, “It’s amazing to win a medal at your first Olympics! Congratulations,” making it all feel real.
At the medalists’ press conference, Nakai was asked what the Olympics meant to her.
“I started out not even thinking I’d make it to the Olympics, so I was shocked to win a medal at my first Games. But I’m still young enough to go to two more Olympics, like Kaori Sakamoto, so I want to work hard to make it to two more.”
Already, she’s looking ahead to the next two Olympics. When asked what she wanted to do now, Sakamoto said, “I want to eat sushi,” and Nakai agreed.
“Um, I want to eat sushi too. And tiramisu.”
Later, she and Sakamoto enjoyed triple-scoop gelato in Milan. Nakai raced through her first Olympics with a smile.
Related topics: Ami Nakai, Olympic Games
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