In a stunning return to the sport, American figure skater Alysa Liu dethroned three-time defending champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan at the World Figure Skating Championships Friday night at Boston’s TD Garden.
Liu became the first American woman to claim a title since Kimmie Meissner in 2006.
Liu’s victory marked a meteoric comeback after stepping away from the sport in 2022.
“I mean, it means so much to me and everything I’ve been through,” Liu said after the victory. “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.”
Liu was once considered a rising star as the youngest U.S. champ ever when she triumphed at the age of 13 in 2019 and then defended her title the next year. She fulfilled a childhood dream by qualifying for the Olympics, finishing sixth at the 2022 Beijing Games, and earned a bronze medal at the world championships that year.
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Then she stepped away. Liu decided skating had become less of a joy and more of a job, and she wanted to focus on being a normal college student. It wasn’t until she went on a ski trip and felt the rush of competition — albeit in a much different way, and with far lower stakes — that she began to think about a comeback.
Early last year, she made it official with a cryptic post on social media. And while the path back in a notoriously fickle sport was bumpy, Liu took a big step forward with her second-place finish to Glenn at the U.S. championships.
She took the last step to the podium Friday night.
“I didn’t expect this. I didn’t have expectations coming in,” Liu said. “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.”
Liu is now in position to make the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic team for the U.S.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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