Regardless of setbacks for Staff USA within the 2026 Winter Olympics, determine skating star Alysa Liu stays the nation’s brightest hope, retaining the dream of a person medal alive after 20 years.
All US girls certified for Thursday’s free skate, however the quick program on Tuesday, February 17, proved difficult. Solely two American skaters managed to position within the high 10, leaving Liu with the duty of main Staff USA in direction of a podium end.
Defending champion Liu delivered a shocking efficiency, finishing a extremely tough triple Lutz–triple loop mixture, a feat no different competitor tried. She presently sits in third place, simply two factors behind Japan’s Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto, retaining her firmly in competition for a medal.
“I am actually proud of how I skated right this moment,” Liu mentioned after her routine. “Seeing my siblings, greatest associates, and household throughout warm-ups and my program made this second much more particular. They hardly ever get to look at me dwell, and connecting with my efficiency on this degree was unbelievable.”
Different US skaters confronted disappointment. Amber Glenn completed thirteenth, lacking the free skate by one spot, whereas Isabeau Levito positioned eighth after a deduction for an under-rotated triple loop disrupted her sequence. These outcomes spotlight the continued challenges for American athletes in particular person determine skating on the Milano-Cortina Video games.
The lads’s occasion additionally noticed a significant upset when two-time world champion Ilia Malinin, a powerful gold medal favourite, fell twice throughout his routine, ending eighth and eliminating himself from competition.
As the ultimate approaches on Thursday, February 19, Liu will carry the burden of Staff USA’s hopes. The 20-year-old from Oakland, California, has already made her mark, serving to the US safe gold within the workforce occasion, and has showcased her resilience after returning to aggressive skating in March 2024 following a short retirement post-2022 Beijing Olympics.
Together with her technical talent, composure beneath stress, and noteworthy performances, Alysa Liu stays the central determine in Staff USA’s quest for a person gold medal, a historic achievement the nation has awaited for 20 years.
