Alysa Liu’s Remarkable Comeback Shines at World Championships
In front of a roaring crowd at TD Garden in Boston, Alysa Liu made a triumphant return to figure skating, dazzling in her golden dress. After nearly two years away from the ice, the 19-year-old skater from Clovis, California, etched her name in history.
Liu earned the title of the first American women’s figure skating world champion in almost 20 years. Her flawless performance to “MacArthur Park” by Donna Summer, a tribute from a Boston native, earned her 222.97 points and dethroned three-time defending champion Kaori Sakamoto.
“I mean, it means so much to me and everything I’ve been through,” Liu expressed. “My last skating experience, my time away and this time around — I’m so happy, I guess. I’m mostly glad I could put out two of my best performances.”
Her coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali, embraced her in joy, and Sakamoto, a gracious competitor, congratulated Liu with a heartfelt hug, symbolically passing the torch from Japan’s hero to the U.S.’s new champion, the first since Kimmie Meissner in 2006.
Liu’s disbelief was evident as she exclaimed, “What the hell? I don’t know. I don’t know how to process this.”
Sakamoto secured the silver medal with 217.98 points, while her fellow Japanese skater, Mone Chiba, claimed bronze with 215.24 points. Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn contributed to a strong American showing, placing three U.S. skaters in the top five.
“We are all so strong,” remarked Levito, “and we are all such fighters, and we all have our strengths, and are so different but we’re all so sweet with each other. I’m just so glad these are my fellow Team USA skaters.”
Liu’s journey to this achievement has been filled with ups and downs. She became the youngest-ever U.S. champion at 13 and defended her title the following year. After competing in the 2022 Beijing Olympics and winning a bronze at the world championships, she took a break to experience life as a college student.
The spark of competition was reignited during a ski trip, leading her to announce her comeback on social media. Her return was marked by a second-place finish at the U.S. championships behind Glenn, setting the stage for her world championship victory.
“Not every yesterday, I didn’t expect this. I didn’t have expectations coming in,” Liu shared. “I never have expectations coming into competitions anymore. It’s moreso, ‘What can I put out performance-wise?’ I really met my expectations on my part.”
Sakamoto, reflecting on Liu’s return, said, “She went away and now she’s back, and the world champion. I wouldn’t say she’s changed. Her cheerfulness and kindness and the way she’s always happy brought her to the stop step of the podium.”
In the same eventful night, American ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates took a commanding lead in their quest for a third consecutive title, scoring a season-high 90.18 points for their rhythm dance. Their performance, set against Canadian rivals Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, drew a raucous ovation for its “tour of the decades” theme.
Gilles and Poirier earned 86.44 points with a routine inspired by The Beach Boys, but the U.S. duo’s homage to the social dances of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s stole the show.
“It was probably the most fun I’ve had thus far on competitive ice in a performance, maybe ever,” Chock commented. “It was really a joy to perform in front of a home crowd and share that excitement with Evan. It was the best.”
Chock and Bates now aim to secure the first three-peat since the 1990s, when Russia’s Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov dominated the ice.
Poirier acknowledged the challenge, saying, “That’s a tough amount of points to catch up on, but we also know that sport is really unpredictable.”
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
