(Photo credit: REUTERS/Claudia Greco)

MILAN -- Japan's Ami Nakai grabbed a surprise lead after the short program at the Olympic women's figure skating competition on Tuesday, edging a field that produced a string of high-quality performances.

The 17-year-old landed a triple Axel in a spirited skate and posted a season-best 78.71 in her Olympic debut.

Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto was second with 77.23, while American Alysa Liu earned 76.59 to sit third heading into Thursday's free skate, which will decide the medals.

'I wasn't nervous at all, so I was able to perform as my usual self and excel,' Nakai told reporters.

'Since this is my first Olympics, I had nothing to lose, and that mindset definitely translated into my results.'

Nakai said she drew inspiration from Japan's pairs champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who staged a comeback from fifth place in the short program to win gold on Monday.

'I was deeply moved by the pairs performance yesterday, and it really brought home to me how important it is to never give up until the very end,' she said.

Sakamoto, chasing a gold-medal finish to what she has said will be her final Olympic campaign, leaned on her experience in front of a sold-out crowd at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, delivering a composed, polished routine to 'Time To Say Goodbye.'

'I wanted to be myself as usual, and there was a little bit of nerve, but I was able to sustain the nerve,' said Sakamoto, the bronze medalist from Beijing 2022.

'In the first half, I was a little bit anxious. But as the music goes on, I got very comfortable, and I was able to really enjoy my performance today.'

Liu, the reigning world champion competing at her second Olympics, left the ice smiling after a confident skate marked by clean execution.

Liu, who retired in 2022 at age 16 before returning to competition with a new perspective, was unburdened by the weight of expectations on Tuesday.

'A medal? I don't need a medal,' she told reporters.

'I just need to be here, and I just need to be present, and I need people to see what I do next.'

Fellow American Amber Glenn opened with a triple Axel but faltered later, popping a planned triple loop into a double and receiving no points for that element.

Glenn, a three-time U.S. champion, left the ice in tears and declined to speak to reporters. Her 13th-place finish left her medal chances in ruins.

PETROSIAN'S DAZZLING DEBUT

Russian teenager Adeliia Petrosian, skating as a neutral athlete due to Russia being banned from the Olympics following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, entered the event as a dark horse and set an early benchmark with a Michael Jackson-themed program.

Skating second among 29 competitors, she landed three triples to earn a career-best 72.89, a mark that kept her on top of the standings for more than two hours until she was usurped by Nakai. She eventually finished in fifth place and in the mix for a medal.

Petrosian did not attempt a quad or a triple Axel in the short program, options she may reserve for Thursday as she targets a fourth consecutive Olympic women's title for a Russian skater.

'I would like to keep this a secret because I never tell about my program,' she told reporters when asked about her plans for the free skate.

She has had limited exposure due to Russians being banned from international competitions by the sport's governing body and qualified for the Milan Cortina Games by winning a qualifying event in Beijing in September.

The session also featured Israeli skater Mariia Seniuk, a 20-year-old Moscow-born athlete and a four-time national champion.

Seniuk was given a warm reception by the crowd and scored 58.61 to qualify for the free skate in 22nd place.

She carried Israel's flag at the opening ceremony, where the country's 10-member team drew scattered boos.

'I'm skating for Israel and some of the people don't support (it) but I really enjoyed the atmosphere today,' she said.

'It's very, very special ... you can just feel it.'

--Reuters, special to Field Level Media