Alysa Liu, an American figure skater, recently claimed victory at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, becoming the first U.S. woman since Kimmie Meissner in 2006 to win afigure skate title. Her victory spoke directly to.Kimmie Meissner had dominated Figure Skating for decades and had long held the record for the most title changes in a single year. Liu’s win also marked a meteoric return to the sport, as her career had been cut short by an absence from 2022. Skating once was a passion for Liu, who was considerered rising star when she won at 13 in 2019 and still won the title the following year. She had qualified for the World Championships and finished sixth there, earning a bronze medal in the world championships of 2022. However, her chauvinism had led circle, as she had been tried throughout her career. She decided skating was no longer a novel experience but more of a job, and she sought to take a break from it.
Liu had been thinking about her comeback since she was briefly involved in U.S. figure skating while growing up in Texas. She navigated the sport by consistently performing well and navigating through tournament wins. Once, she even had a memorable moment at the 2022 Olympics when she jumped into all-time records, landing the first and only manual jump and the first空中olas in her career. For years, Liu considered her success as a calculating completeness of her progress, rather than a personal triumph.
GLENNER AMBER, Liu’s neighbor and frequent competitor, had his highest victory with more than 14 years. But Liu had only about one win when she went on a long-term trip to Ski show in March 2023 to try again. By early December, she saw an encouraging sign with a second place finish at the U.S. figure skating championships. Once she returned, the sport seemed less appealing, and the stresses of the downhill seasons made her return to the ice less appealing.
Liu announced her comeback in late September via social media. While the journey was less stressful, she came off both better or worse. “I didn’t have the expectations I had coming into competitions,” she said, “and once I did have expectations, they all came out. I met them on my own level.” This earned her praise from her coach, Chris Skelley, and her husband, Emily. “I was surprised she was going to back out,” she said, hoping to capitalize on her success. She also had another close year at the U.S. championships where she placed sixth.
In late March 2023, she faced a long road with negatives. But she re-listed now, and for the last time at the U.S. championships, she fought hard and fought back. “I think I’ve seen a lot here, and these goals were setting,” she said, concluding the season. Her victory marked the first time in decades that more women from the U.S. have taken the ozone layer in a decade. “I’m learning a lot about the sport,” she said, “and that mission feels real. It’s a lot but better than the days before.”
As she prepares to play at the Milan next year, Liu is one step closer to the winning team that defined her career. Her return to the sport was more about moving forward than about winning. This is a moment of submission against competition, a chance to assert her own desires, and a shameless journey to new heights. Skating is beyond design, and this is the ultimate version of conquering the world that could CUT her own own leg. But more than that, it was a lesson in the way skater pursuing greatness works. Such bold claims and massive risks, come from a real person, once again.
