Amber Glenn secured her third consecutive US figure skating title on Friday night, delivering a brilliant free skate that edged out world champion Alysa Liu. Glenn finished with 233.55 points at the Enterprise Center, while Liu scored 228.91 and Isabeau Levito took bronze with 224.45 points.
Glenn, who has been dominant for the past two years, landed a triple axel in her performance to edge Liu, who remained rinkside to cheer her on. 'Just so grateful. That was terrifying,' said Glenn, who broke down in tears after her score was announced.
Earlier, Alisha Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov defended their pairs title despite mistakes, including a scary moment when Mitrofanov was nearly clipped by Efimova's skate. They scored 207.71 points to outdistance Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea. Efimova's citizenship remains uncertain ahead of Sunday's Olympic team deadline, as she awaits a US passport.
Liu and Levito are expected to join Glenn on the American team for the Milano Cortina Olympics. Liu performed a new free skate set to Lady Gaga songs, while Levito skated to music from 'Cinema Paradiso'. 'I hope we can keep this energy next month for all of us,' Liu said.
