Alysa Liu Wins Olympic Gold With Joyful Comeback
Alysa Liu, 20, won women's Olympic figure skating gold in Milan with a 226.79 total after a 150.20 free skate, ending a 24-year U.S. gold drought.
Overview
Alysa Liu, 20, won the women’s Olympic figure skating gold in Milan with a 226.79 total after a 150.20 free skate.
Her victory ended a 24-year U.S. gold drought in the event and followed her contribution to the U.S. team event gold earlier at these Games.
Coaches Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali celebrated on the ice, and Liu said she hopes her story can raise awareness about mental health in sports.
Kaori Sakamoto took silver with 224.90 and Ami Nakai won bronze with 219.16; Amber Glenn rose to fifth with 214.91 and Adeliia Petrosian fell on a quad to place sixth.
Liu will skate in the Exhibition Gala on Saturday, and Sakamoto said she is retiring after these Olympics.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Liu’s gold as a feel‑good comeback and identity-affirming triumph, using celebratory language (e.g., “carefree,” “happiest,” “obliterated”), selective sourcing (coaches, Johnny Weir, NBC commentators), and a human‑interest narrative about quitting/return and mental‑health journey, while minimizing technical judging debate to produce an uplifting American-success story.
Sources (17)
FAQ
Alysa Liu became the youngest U.S. figure skating champion at age 13 in 2019, landed historic jumps like the quad lutz and triple axel, competed in the 2022 Olympics finishing 6th, won 2022 Worlds bronze, and retired at 16 before returning.
Liu retired at 16 in 2022 due to burnout from intense training and pressure, then pursued college at UCLA, travel like Everest base camp, and hobbies; she returned inspired by a skiing trip friend, rediscovering joy in skating.
Kaori Sakamoto of Japan took silver with 224.90 points, Ami Nakai won bronze with 219.16, Amber Glenn placed fifth with 214.91, and Adeliia Petrosian sixth after a quad fall.
Her gold ended a 24-year U.S. drought in women's Olympic figure skating, the first since Tara Lipinski or Kimmie Meissner in 2002 (noted as since 2022 in some sources, but article specifies 24 years).
She trains with coaches Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali; she will perform in the Exhibition Gala on Saturday and hopes to raise mental health awareness in sports.
History
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