Alysa Liu’s comeback is golden.
Less than two years after coming out of retirement, Liu captured America’s first medal in women’s figure skating in 20 years — and it is colored gold for the first time since 2002.
She is the eighth American to win gold in women’s figure skating.
With a flawless, high-energy free-skate performance to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park Suite,” Liu laughed and smiled through the face of pressure Thursday, and rose from third place after the short program to the top of the podium. She jumped in front of the Japanese duo of Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai.
“What I was feeling,” Liu said, “was happy and confident.”
Nakai, 17, was the leader after the short program. In her chance to wrap up gold, she missed a triple-triple combination but landed a triple axel and still fell to bronze.
Sakamoto won the silver — less than two points off the lead.
Liu, 20, and American teammate Amber Glenn were side-by-side high-fiving and clasping hands as they awaited Nakai’s score. It turned out not to be that close, with Liu’s 226.79 combination score setting the pace.
Nakai graciously hugged Liu in a moment that transcended fiery competition. Backstage, Liu applied lipstick and fluffed her hair as reality sank in.
Wearing a predictive gold costume, the free-spirited Liu started her career-defining skate with a triple flip, executed her triple lutz and triple toe combination, and just took off from there in a performance finished off by twisting and dancing around the ice. She made a heart with her hands to the thrilled crowd, and hopped up and down as she stepped off the ice to greet her coaches.
“That’s what I’m f—ing talking about,” Liu said into a camera.
A look of possibilities flashed across her face as her free-skate score topping 150 flashed across the arena.
It was the climax of a comeback story from her April 2022 retirement because of competition fatigue after being introduced as a national champion teenage phenom in 2019. By March 2024, Liu, who finished sixth in the 2022 Olympics and decided to pursue life as a UCLA student, was back on the ice and en route to winning silver at the next two national championships.
“I think my story is more important than anything to me,” Liu said, “and that’s what I will hold dear, and this journey has been incredible, and my life has just been — I have no complaints.”
But she saved her best for her biggest moment, never caving to the pressure-packed idea that it was medal-or-bust.
“Her story of taking a step back, mental health, I think it really attests to you never know what the journey to success is going to be,” Glenn said. “I really hope that can reach the skating community, that it’s OK to take time.”
Glenn finished fifth — a big jump from 13th after the short program — and fellow American Isabeau Levito came in 12th. Together, the trio earned the nickname “Blade Angels.”
Glenn’s redemptive rebound — a near-flawless performance complete with beautiful execution on her signature axel and hurt only by touching the ice on her final jump — was rewarded with her season-best free-skate score of 147.42. It pushed her combined score to 214.91 and vaulted her into temporary possession of first place.
“I just thought, ‘I’m going to do what I do best, which is enjoy skating,’ ” Glenn said, “and that’s what I did today.”
Glenn, 26, actually remained atop the standings through the next eight skaters — all of whom were ahead of her after the short program. That group included Mount Holly, N.J.’s Levito, who dropped from eighth place.
Levito, 18, fell on her opening jump — a nine-point deduction on a triple flip — and her recovery into her typical elegance was not enough.
Levito, 18, fell on her opening jump — a nine-point deduction on a triple flip — and her recovery into her typical elegant performance was not enough.
She did not add an unscripted triple into the performance to make up for lost points.
The teenager’s first Olympics trip had been all about fun and the idea that you cannot “evict” her from spending every night in the village.
“I kind of just went on autopilot [after the fall] because in training I just go, go, go a lot of repetitions,” Levito, the 2023 national champion, told reporters in Milan. “I do my best when I’m thinking less.”
In the end, one technical mistake in the short program — doubling a triple loop for a seven-point deduction, which is more costly than if she had fallen instead — is all that cost Glenn a medal.
Maybe even the silver and an American 1-2 punch because so many of the other skaters fell under the pressure of chasing Glenn, who executed the bedeviled triple loop on her long program do-over. She finished her program pumping her fist and pinching her fingers together while mouthing “so close.”
The first to knock Glenn out of the combination lead was Japan’s Mone Chiba, who finished both programs in fourth place.
“It was nice to watch some great figure skating up close,” Glenn said, “but it’s also conflicting because you want to stay there but you don’t want to wish mistakes on anybody else.”
Long Island’s Sarah Hughes, who was America’s last gold medalist in 2002, was among the figure-skating royalty on hand to celebrate Liu.
Four years later, Sasha Cohen won silver — and America slipped into a medal drought that is over.
UDHËTO LIRË.
UDHËTO KOMOD.
Rezervo online shpejt, lehtë dhe pa stres.
