In an impressive return to the sport, the American figurative skater Alysa Liu dethroned the three -time defending champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan in the World Skating Championship Figurative on Friday night at the TD Garden de Boston.
Liu became the first American woman to claim a title from Kimmie Meissner in 2006.
Liu’s victory marked a meteoric return after getting away from sport in 2022.
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Alysa Liu of the United States reacts after performing its routine in the free women program in the World 2025 World Figurative Skating Championship on TD Garden on March 28, 2025, in Boston. (Tim Clayton/Corbis through Getty Images)
“I mean, it means a lot to me and everything I have happened,” Liu said after the victory. “My last skating experience, my time outside and this time, I am very happy, I suppose. I am mostly happy to be able to publish two of my best performances.”
Liu was considered a rising star as the youngest champion of the United States when he triumphed at the age of 13 in 2019 and then defended his title the following year. She fulfilled a childhood dream when qualifying for the Olympic Games, ending sixth at the 2022 Beijing Games, and won a bronze medal in the world championship of that year.
Texas native, Amber Glenn, wins the largest female artistic skating title in the USA in 14 years
Alysa Liu of the United States competes in the female free skating during the ISU ISU Figurative Skating Championship in 2025 in TD Garden on March 28, 2025 in Boston. (Maddie Meyer/Getty images)
Then he moved away. Liu decided that skating had become a joy and more a job, and wanted to concentrate on being a normal university student. It was not until it was on a ski journey and felt the wave of competition, although in a very different way, and with much lower stakes, which began to think about a return.
At the beginning of last year, he made it official with a cryptic publication on social networks. And although the way back in a notoriously volatile sport was full of potholes, Liu took a great step forward with his second place to Glenn in the United States championship.
She took the last step to the podium on Friday night.
The United States gold medalist of the United States poses for a photo after winning the World Women’s Championship during the 2025 ISU Figurer Skating Championship on TD Garden on March 28, 2025, in Boston. (Maddie Meyer/Getty images)
“I didn’t expect this. I had no expectations,” Liu said. “I never have expectations entering competitions. Moreover, ‘What can I get about performance?’ I really fulfilled my expectations on my part. “
Liu is now in a position to do the 2026 Olympic team of Milan Curtain for the United States
