Alysa Liu Triumphs with Golden Performance to End US Figure Skating Drought
Alysa Liu completed a remarkable and stunning comeback to competitive figure skating by securing the first Olympic women's figure skating gold medal for the United States in 24 years on Thursday night. The 20-year-old from Clovis, California, who had vanished from the sport nearly four years ago with uncertainty about her return, delivered a career-best long program that overtook her Japanese rivals, Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai.
Near-Flawless Routine Secures Victory
Skating in a shimmering gold dress to Donna Summer's MacArthur Park Suite, Liu executed a brilliant routine that included cleanly landing all seven of her triple jumps, with three in combination. Her performance drew a standing ovation from the captivated crowd before she finished with an overall score of 226.79 points. "That's what I'm fucking talking about," Liu exclaimed as she left the ice, shaking her head with knowing approval as the scores were announced while being hugged by her coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali.
Medal Standings and Competitors' Performances
Kaori Sakamoto finished with 224.90 points over both segments to claim the silver medal, with her lone mistakes occurring on her triple flip, double axel combination, and triple loop. The 17-year-old Ami Nakai, the youngest skater among the 29 entrants who led after the short program, made several errors in the second half of her program, finishing ninth in the free skate and slipping to bronze with an overall score of 219.16. Japan's Mone Chiba came in fourth, while three-time US champion Amber Glenn placed fifth after a redemptive long program that ended her Olympics on a high note, despite a disappointing 13th-place finish in the short program.
Historic Achievement and Comeback Story
Liu, the surprise world champion from a year ago, became the first American woman to win individual figure skating gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002. The last US woman to reach an Olympic podium was Sasha Cohen in 2006. This victory marks the culmination of one of the most unusual arcs in the sport's history. Liu burst onto the scene in 2019 as the youngest ever US national champion at age 13, repeated the feat a year later, competed at the 2022 Olympics, and won bronze at that year's worlds before abruptly retiring in the spring of 2022, citing fatigue and burnout.
After staying away from the sport for nearly two years, Liu returned to training in California by mid-2023, aiming to rediscover joy in her sport and target these Winter Olympics. Her comeback was highlighted by skating third-to-last with the rollicking crowd in her thrall, and by the time she closed with a graceful layback spin, the 12,000-seat arena erupted into a white-hot wall of sound. She then watched as Sakamoto and Nakai skated beautifully but failed to meet her mark.
Other Notable Competitors and Legacy
Adeliia Petrosian, the three-time Russian champion entered as an individual neutral athlete, was considered a dangerous contender for gold despite starting Thursday in fifth place. She had hopes of a medal due to her planned quadruple toeloop but failed to land the potential difference-making jump, though she still managed a season-best free skate and overall score of 214.53 for sixth place. Liu's victory makes her the eighth US woman to win figure skating's biggest prize, with the audience including former Olympic champion Tenley Albright, who became the first at the 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Games.
