Liu, 19, Claims World Title Three Years After Retiring

Liu, 19, Claims World Title Three Years After Retiring

Alysa Liu Wins World Title at 19 After Surprise Comeback

American figure skater Alysa Liu completed a stunning comeback by winning the women’s world title in Boston, just three years after retiring from the sport at 16.

Liu, now 19, delivered an electrifying free-skate routine in front of a roaring home crowd at TD Garden, narrowly edging out Japan’s three-time defending champion Kaori Sakamoto.

Having stepped away from competition after winning bronze at the 2022 World Championships, Liu returned to the ice last year with no expectations of reclaiming the top spot.

“This is an insane story,” Liu told NBC. “I never imagined coming back and becoming world champion.”

Skating last in the final group, Liu had to watch as Sakamoto delivered a near-flawless free skate, jumping from fifth place in the short program to take the lead.

Undeterred, Liu embraced the moment, performing to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park” and thrilling the crowd with a flawless double Axel to close her routine.

Her final score of 222.97 secured her place in history as the first American woman to win the world title since Kimmie Meissner in 2006. Overcome with emotion, Liu celebrated with a cartwheel on her way to collect her gold medal.

Japan’s Mone Chiba joined her compatriot Sakamoto on the podium, taking bronze.

Elsewhere in the competition, Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson are in medal contention in the ice dance event. Their score of 83.86 in the rhythm dance puts them in third place behind American defending champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates (90.18) and Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (86.44).

Liu, 19, Claims World Title Three Years After Retiring