Alysa Liu Wins Olympic Gold for Team USA Ending 24 Year Drought in Women’s Figure Skating
Gold dress. Check. Golden performance. Double check. Gold medal. Trifecta complete. And oh yeah, this figure skating legend also just ended a drought that lasted over two decades. Alysa Liu wins an Olympic gold medal for Team USA ending a 24 year drought in women’s figure skating.
The last American woman to medal at the Olympics was Sasha Cohen (silver) in 2006. And the last American woman to bite into a gold medal occurred even before that. Four years earlier to be exact.
Therefore, Team USA needed a hero in women’s figure skating. Someone to put an American woman back on top. And Liu has answered the call.
Alysa has had quite the career. Liu made history as the first U.S. woman to land a quadruple jump in competition, completing a quad Lutz in 2019 at a junior event. A tough element that has been more utilized in men’s performances than in women’s competition. However, dancing… or should we say skating to her own drum; Alysa kept pushing the level of women’s figure skating and also became the first woman in history to successfully complete a quad lutz and triple axel in the same program. What a skater.
As anyone can easily see, Liu has her own style. Infectious smile and vibe. Plus, she is unafraid to chart her own path. Which has included wearing whatever she wants, skating to the music she loves and plainly; just being her unique self.
And what a journey she’s had in order to reach the top podium. 7 years since her winning ways began. Alysa has worked tirelessly and now finds her name firmly etched and cemented in Team USA history.
She is now the U.S. figure skater who won her first national title at 13 years old. Walked away from the sport at 16, came back at 18, became world champion at 19 was now an Olympic gold medalist at 20. The first American woman to capture individual gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002. Wow.
Liu’s performance, skating to the late Donna Summer‘s “MacArthur Park Suite,” brought the house down inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena, The 20-year-old Liu executed a near-perfect free skate as the crowd roared around her on her final pose.
Thanks to her free skate Thursday (19 February) Alysa surged from third place after the short program to claim the gold. Scoring a career-best 226.79 overall. Sakamoto Kaori claimed the silver medal with a 224.90, while Nakai Ami fell to third for the bronze, scoring 291.16.
Alysa Liu Wins Olympic Gold for Team USA Ending 24 Year Drought in Women’s Figure Skating
Furthermore, Liu isn’t going home with a single gold. Almost two weeks ago Alysa helped lead the United States to glory in the team event. Right near the start of the Winter Games. Therefore, Liu has had a great Olympic experience.
But now that she possesses a solo gold. Liu is extremely proud of her accomplishment. And she hopes her journey may encourage others to chase dreams. After her winning performance Alysa Liu says, “I’m honored to be part of this [gold medal] club,” Liu said. “I guess it’s a club maybe, but no, I am really honored and they are incredible athletes. … I hope that with all this visibility I now have, I hope people don’t just look at a headline like, ‘Oh, she won a gold.’ I hope people really, I don’t know, take their time to read my story even though it’s not fully out. But one day it will be [and] on that day I hope to inspire even more people.”
Alysa Liu, you have inspired us all. Congratulations!
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