Boston – Alysa Liu patinated around the ice with disbelief, its gorged golden dress in the lights of TD Garden, and the grateful roar of a closed window crowds reminded her why she returned to sport after a retreat of almost two years.
When her score was finally read, the 19 -year -old young woman from Clovis, California had marked history.
Liu became the first world champion of American figure skating skating in almost two decades, dethroning the triple reigning champion Kaori Sakamoto with a brilliant free skating Friday evening. His program to an interpretation of “MacArthur Park” by the native of Boston Donna Summer earned him a standing ovation and allowed Liu to finish with 222.97 points.
“I mean, it means so much for me and everything I have experienced,” said Liu. “My last skating experience, my time absent and this time – I am so happy, I suppose. I am especially happy to be able to get two of my best performances out.”
Liu coaches, Phillip Diguglielmo and Massimo Scali, pulled him in a hug in the “Kiss-et-Crys” area of the arena. A few moments later, Sakamoto came from the place where she had looked on the leader’s chair and tightened her closely, as if the hero of Japan had a torch like the first world champion of the United States since Kimmie Meissner had been at the top of the podium in 2006.
“What hell?” Liu asked with disbelief. “I don’t know. I don’t know how to treat this.”
Sakamoto finished with 217.98 points to add a silver medal to its three previous gold. His Japanese teammate, Mone Chiba, finished third with 215.24 points while Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn gave the Americans three of the first five.
“We are all so strong,” said Levito, “and we are all such fighters, and we have all our strengths, and we are so different, but we are all so nice with each other. I am so happy that they are my comrades of American team skaters.”
Liu was once considered the rising star of sport, the youngest American champion when she triumphed at the age of 13 in 2019, then defended her title the following year. She made a childhood ambition by qualifying for the Olympic Games, finishing sixth at the Beijing 2022 Games, and won a bronze medal at the world championships that year.
Then she moved away. Liu decided that skating had become less joy and more of a job, and she wanted to focus on being a normal student. It was only when she made a ski trip and felt the rush of the competition – although in a very different way, and with much lower issues – that she started to think of a return.
At the beginning of last year, she made her official with cryptic publication on social networks. And while the way back in a notoriously flying sport was bumpy, of course, Liu took a big step forward with his second place in Glenn at the American championships.
She took the last step on the podium on Friday evening.
“I did not expect that. I had no expectations to come,” said Liu. “I never have expectations in competitions again. This is more the case:” What can I make performance? “I really met my expectations on my part.”
She left Sakamoto, the former champion, with feelings of fear and admiration.
“She left and now she is back, and the world champion,” said Sakamoto. “I would not say that she has changed. Her cheerfulness and her kindness and the way she is always happy have brought her to the upper stage of the podium.”
Earlier at night, American ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates built a big cushion while they are continuing their third consecutive title, marking a record of 90.18 points for their rhythmic dance to direct the Canadian rivals Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.
Gilles and Poirier scored 86.44 points in their dance, setting up the Beach Boys to music. They only kept advances long enough for the American duo to end their “tour of decades” program, which earned them a noisy ovation inside the TD garden.
The International Skating Union has chosen the theme this season of social dances and styles from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. But while some skaters have chosen one – Watui, Madison or Disco – Chock and Bates have thrown everything in their Rollicking.
“It was probably the most fun I have had so far on competitive ice in a performance, maybe never,” said Chock. “It was really a joy to perform in front of a crowd at home and to share this excitement with Evan. It was the best.”
Now Chock and Bates will try to finish the first three tours from Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov in Russia in the 1990s.
“It’s a difficult amount of points to catch up,” said Poirier, “but we also know that sport is really unpredictable.”
