Alysa Liu, U.S. figure skater, wins Olympic gold : NPR
Team USA’s Alysa Liu celebrates after winning gold in the women’s event on Thursday.
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Jamie Squire/Getty Images
MILAN — Alysa Liu won gold in figure skating, the first American woman to achieve the feat in more than two decades.
It’s an ironic result for the 20-year-old, who said earlier this week she wasn’t motivated by a medal.
“I’m OK if I do a failing program. I’m totally OK if I do a good program. No matter the result, that’s always my story,” Liu said after finishing Tuesday night’s short program in third place.
Liu, 20, reached new heights during Thursday’s free skate, dazzling the crowd with an absolutely joyous skate to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park Suite” in a shimmering gold dress.
Alysa Liu (C) celebrates next to silver medalist Kaori Sakamoto (L) and bronze medalist Ami Nakai (R), both Japanese.
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Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images
She and her signature raccoon striped ponytail took flight, exuding carefree confidence and bringing the crowd to their feet. Her laid-back attitude and air of genuine fun have been her hallmarks since her return to the sport in 2024 – two years after retiring at 16 immediately following the Beijing Olympics, where she finished sixth.
Liu’s performance on Thursday propelled her straight to the top of the rankings with two skaters behind her, guaranteeing her a spot on the podium.
She stayed there until the end of the night. Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto, penultimate skater, won a silver medal, while the last skater of the evening, her compatriot Ami Nakai, won bronze.
It was literally a passing of the torch: Sakamoto, who won bronze in Beijing, is retiring after these Olympics; Nakai is only 17 years old and in his first senior season.
American Amber Glenn will compete on Thursday. She finished fifth overall.
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The Milan rink erupted in joy as reality set in. An exuberant Liu exchanged long hugs with her coaches and teammate Amber Glenn, who herself had a triumphant evening despite finishing fifth on the podium.
It was a redemptive skate for Glenn, who came in 13th place after a costly mistake at the end of her first routine on Tuesday. The free skate, her second chance, went much smoother: She landed another triple axel and landed all of her jumps, although she lowered her hand to steady herself at one point. Glenn, who later told NBC she thought to herself, she was six years old, took the first place and stayed there until the last group of the evening.
The other member of “The Blade Angels“, Isabeau Levito, finished the evening in 12th place.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
