Alysa Liu ends long U.S. drought at women’s figure skating world championships : NPR

Boston-Alyssa Liu was skipped around ice in disbelief, and the golden dress that sparkled in the TD Garden lights, and reminded her of appreciation from a crowd of a group of sale the reason for her return to this sport after retirement for nearly two years.

When her degrees were finally read, the 19 -year -old girl from Clovis, California, has her history.

Liu has become the world’s first world champion for women in the world for nearly two decades, mixing the defense champion three times Kori Sakamoto with a wonderful free skiing on Friday night. Her Macarthur Park was achieved by her citizen in Boston, Donna Summer, allowed her to applause, and allowed Liu to finish 222.97 points.

Liu said: “I mean, this means a lot for me and everything I have gone through.” “The last skiing experience, my time is far, and this time – I am very happy, I think. I am mostly happy because I can put two of my best offers.”

Leo coaches, Philip Degoglelo and Massimo Scalli, withdrew it into a hug in the Qibla and Melr -Square area. Moments later, Sakamoto came from where she watched the leader’s chair and pressed it tightly, as if the Japanese champion was going through the flame as the first world champion from the United States since Kimi Misser stood over the platform in 2006.

“what the hell?” Liu request in disbelief. “I don’t know. I don’t know how to treat this.”

Sakamoto ended with 217.98 points to add a silver medal to the previous three gold. Her Japanese teammate, Moon Chiba, ranked third with 215.24 points, while Isabo Levito and Gilin gave the Americans three of the top five.

Levito said: “We are all very strong, and we are all these fighters, and we all have our strengths, and we are very different but we are all kind to each other. I am very happy these are my colleagues in the United States of America team,” Levito said.

Liu was one day considered the emerging sports star, an American hero when she won at the age of 13, 2019, and then defended her title the following year. She achieved childhood ambition by qualifying for the Olympics, and won the sixth place in the Beijing 2022 Games, and won a bronze medal in the World Championship that year.

Then I moved away. Liu decided that skiing became less than joy and more than one job, and wanted to focus on being an ordinary university student. It wasn’t that until I went on a skiing trip and felt the rush of competition – albeit in a very different way, and with much lower risk – began to think about returning.

Early last year, she made her official with a hidden publication on social media. While the road was in a very poor upside down sport, Liu took a big step forward while finishing second place to Glenn in the United States Championship.

I took the last step on the platform on Friday night.

“Not all yesterday, I didn’t expect it. I had no expectations,” Liu said. “I no longer have expectations in competitions anymore. It’s Morriso,” What can I put out through performance? “I have met my expectations on my part.”

Sakamoto, the former hero, left with feelings of terror and admiration.

“I went away and now it has returned, and the world’s hero,” said Sakamoto. “I will not say that it has changed. Fading and kindness and the way she is always happy to bring her to the step of stopping the platform.”

Earlier in the night, American ice dancers Madison Choc and Ivan Bates built a large pillow where they chase their third consecutive title, where they scored the best 90.18 points in their dance season to lead Canadian competitors Piper Jill and Paul Burier.

The generation and Poirier 86.44 scored their dance points, reaching music from Beach Boys. They occupied the lead for a long time enough until the American duo ended the “Tour of Contracts” program, which earned them a loud applause inside the TD Park.

The International Ski Federation chose the topic of this season from social dances and methods in the fifties, sixties and seventies. But while some of the skiers – WhatsApp, Madison or Disco chose everything in their offer.

“Maybe it has been more enjoyable so far on competitive ice in performance, perhaps at all,” Choc said. “It was really my pleasure to perform in front of a crowd of home and share this excitement with Evan. It was the best.”

Now, Chock and Bates will try to finish the first three peaches since Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov in the 1990s.

“This is a difficult amount of points to catch up, but we also know that sport is really unpredictable,” Bweier admitted.