The trio is drawing viral attention after a Taylor Swift-narrated hype video.
WASHINGTON — Team USA’s “Blade Angels” are hitting the ice at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics this week, and they just got a major celebrity shoutout from Taylor Swift.
Olympians Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito will compete as Team USA’s women’s singles trio, calling themselves the “Blade Angels.” To hype up their arrival, the U.S. Figure Skating Olympic team posted a new Instagram video narrated by Swift, who described the three as “American showgirls on ice.”
Swift’s narration, which included personal details about each skater, helped turn the team nickname into an instant viral moment as U.S. fans look toward the biggest women’s figure skating events of the Games.
Who are the Blade Angels?
Amber Glenn (26)
Glenn is a three-time and reigning U.S. champion and is competing in her first Olympic women’s singles event. She has been outspoken about mental health and LGBTQ+ issues, and her career has surged in her mid-20s, later than the typical trajectory for elite women’s figure skaters.
Alysa Liu (20)
Liu is the only member of the trio with previous Olympic experience, having competed at the 2022 Beijing Games. She retired from skating at 16, then returned on her own terms and went on to become the first American woman to win a world title in nearly two decades.
Isabeau Levito (18)
Levito is the youngest of the three and is known for her polished, classic style on the ice. She also has a personal connection to the host city. Her mother grew up in Milan, and her grandmother lives nearby, making these Games especially meaningful for the teen skater.
They’ve dubbed themselves the “Blade Angels,” an homage to “Charlie’s Angels,” after rejecting such suggestions as “Powerpuff Girls” and “Babes of Glory,” which they worried might lead to some trademark issues. (As if they needed more of those in Milan.)
The trio is the last chance to salvage a disappointing Olympics for American figure skaters.
“I really like that we’re all different,” Levito said, “and we all have our own strengths and personalities, and our own ways we want to look and appear. I think it’s really great, because while we all have the same passion for the sport, and we have very aligned goals.”
When can you watch the Blade Angels compete?
The Blade Angels will compete in the Women’s Short Program at 12:45 p.m. ET Tuesday, Feb. 17, followed by the Free Skate at 1 p.m. ET Thursday, Feb. 19.