Boston – Alysa Liu is the first American female artistic skater to win a world title in 19 years, capping a return season after a two -year retirement.
Liu, 19, had the superior program and free skate scores for 222.97 points in total. She prevailed on the triple Kaori Sakamoto world champion in Japan of 4.99. Mone Chiba from Japan has gained bronze.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s a crazy story,” said Liu on NBC Sports. “I don’t know how I came back to be world champion.”
Figure skating worlds: Results | Broadcasting calendar
Liu is the first American female skater to win a world title from Kimmie Meissner in 2006.
With Isabeau Levito taking fourth and Amber Glenn fifth, the United States has put three women in the top five in Worlds for the first time since 2001 (Michelle Kwan, Sarah Hughes, Angela Nikodinov). It was also the last time that an American woman had earned worlds during the pre-Olympic year. Hughes was the last American woman to win Olympic gold in 2002.
Liu, who in 2019 became the youngest American champion in history at the age of 13, retired at 16 after a world bronze medal in 2022, tired of a sport that looked like a job.
She returned this season – Extract his skates from a closet after trekking in the Himalayas – And found the joy of skating.
Liu won a triple axel at the age of 12 – the youngest woman to do so – and a quadruple jump at 14 – the first American woman to do so. She won the world title without any of the two, although coach Phillip Diguglielmo said she could do the axel.
“Personally, I can be so much better,” said Liu, thinking about the season. “This is why I call it a start -up season because this season is that I pick up the pieces. So I don’t know how I did that.”
Liu won seven triple jumps in the free Friday skate. The 12 of its technical elements have received positive execution notes. His 148.39 free skate score was his best this season of 16.93 points.
The global silver medalist of 2024 Levito, out of the ice in most of a section from October to January with a foot injury, rallied in his free skate after a fall on his opening jump combination.
The American champion Glenn improved the ninth after the short program for her best world finished in three appearances.
Glenn was the only woman to try a triple axel in free, although she did not land it. She entered the worlds as a best skater this season with victories in his five starts.
“I was really proud of the fight I had there, and that I stayed calm and that I finished on a positive note of the season,” said Glenn.
The worlds end on Saturday with free dance (from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Peacock And 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on USA Network) and free men’s skating (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Peacock and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on NBC and Peacock).
Alysa Liu returns to the high-level figure skating competition this month after a two-year retirement.
2025 results of the world figure skating championship
Women
Gold: Alysa Liu (USA) – 222.97
Money: Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) – 217.98
Bronze: Mone Chiba (JPN) – 215.24
4. Isabeau Levito (USA) – 209.84
5. Amber Glenn (United States) – 205.65
6. Wakaba Higuchi (JPN) – 204.58
7. Nina Pinzarrone (Bel) – 199.43
8. Nina Petrookina (East) – 196.67
9. Lee Hae -in (Kor) – 194.36
10. Kim Chae -Yeon (Kor) – 194.16
