(Photo credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)

With spots on the Olympic team for February's Milano Cortina Games up for grabs, the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships carry even larger stakes.

Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu rose to that occasion in historic fashion during the short program Wednesday on Night 1 of competition in St. Louis.

Liu, the 2025 world champion who ranks fifth in the international rankings but third among Americans, set a U.S. Championships short-program record when she posted an 81.11 with her performance Wednesday.

Glenn, the two-time defending American champion and World No. 3, broke that record two skaters later when she posted an 83.05 to take the lead after the first half of competition.

As expected given their rankings, Glenn, Liu and Isabeau Levito -- the World No. 4, who posted a 75.71 -- sit in the top three of the standings, which all earn spots on the Olympic team, after the short program.

They're followed by Sarah Everhardt (71.10) in fourth place, Bradie Tennell (69.53) in fifth and Starr Andrew (65.77) in sixth place entering Friday's free skate, where the three Olympians will be finalized.

On the pairs' side, where two sets go to the Olympics, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov (75.31) are comfortably in the lead after the short program, leading the rest of the field by over 7.5 points.

But even if this pair finishes in a qualifying spot after Friday's free skate, they may not know if they're Olympic-bound.

Efimova, who is married to Mitrofanov, is a Finnish citizen. She was approved for a green card and American citizenship in July, but hasn't yet received it. If she doesn't obtain citizenship by Sunday, the best American pair will not be eligible to represent the United States in Italy.

If that were to play out, there could be quite a race for the American pairs spots, with less than a point separating second and fifth place after the short program.

Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy (67.67) sit in second place entering Friday, but Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea (67.13), Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez (67.03), and Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman (66.81) are all in striking distance, whether there are one or two spots up for grabs.

Thursday will see the ice dancers and men begin competition with their short programs.

--Field Level Media