Cnn
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Alysa Liu did not expect to win the world championships. After all, the 19 -year -old artistic skater withdrew from sport three years ago, returning to training again a year ago and international competition six months ago.
But Friday, almost three years after her retirement from the sport, Liu became the first American woman for 19 years winning a world title of figure skating.
“Even yesterday, I did not expect that,” she told journalists afterwards, referring to her advance after the short program on Wednesday. “I had no expectations to come. I have no more expectations in competition. This is more than what I can put out the performance and I really met my expectations on this part today. ”
Skating in “MacArthur Park Suite” by Donna Summer, Liu produced a flawless and fluid free skate which was greeted by a pierced crowd which applauds and applauds each jump which she landed.
In the end, she finished with a total of 222.97 points on the short program and the free skate, almost five complete points ahead of Kaori Sakamoto in Japan in second place.
“It means so much for me,” she said later. “Everything I have experienced, my last skating experience, my working time and this time, I’m so happy, I’m especially happy to be able to get two of my best performances out.”
Liu has marked history in 2019 as a younger person to win an individual title at the American figure skating championships, aged only 13. She won again the following year, apparently intended to become one of the biggest stars in her sport.
But after having contributed to the Beijing Olympic Games in 2022 and medalist at the world championships a few weeks later, Liu announced that she was retiring for figure skating at the age of 16. At the time, she explained that she was “satisfied” with her career, “ended” with her goals and ready to “relearn my life”.
Two of his compatriots – Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn – finished fourth and fifth respectively, finishing an exceptional week for American artistic skaters.
Meanwhile, the United States Ilia Malinin leads the male world championships after the short program. He will try to defend his lead in the free skate on Saturday.