Ami Nakai surges into Olympic lead after short program as U.S. struggles at the Winter Games

Ami Nakai and Japanese teammate Kaori Sakamoto upstaged Alysa Liu and the rest of the “Blade Angels” from the U.S. on Tuesday night, taking the lead after the short program in the women's figure skating competition at the Milan Cortina Olympics. But Pedrosian, who is coached by the controversial Eteri Tutberidze, was vetted and cleared by the International Olympic Committee of any ties to the military or the war, allowing her to take part and win a qualifying event in Japan. Without any real world ranking to her name, Petrosian was the second to take the ice, slotted in among skaters with little chance to qualify for the free skate let alone touch the podium.