Alysa Liu Wins Olympic Gold in Stunning Comeback

American figure skater Alysa Liu delivered a brilliant performance to win the gold medal in the women’s singles event at the Milano Cortina Games on Thursday. With this victory, Liu ended a 20-year Olympic medal drought for the United States in women’s figure skating.

Liu, 20, skated with confidence and joy in her disco-themed free skate set to music by Donna Summer. She landed seven strong triple jumps and received a season’s best score of 150.20 in the free skate, finishing with a total score of 226.79. The crowd gave her a standing ovation after her flawless routine.

This was Liu’s second gold medal at the Games, after helping the United States win the team competition earlier.

Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto won the silver medal with a total score of 224.90. The three-time world champion had hoped to win gold in what is expected to be her final Olympics. However, a mistake in one of her jump combinations cost her valuable points. She left the ice with a bloodied knee and was emotional after realizing her gold medal dream had slipped away.

Seventeen-year-old Ami Nakai claimed bronze with a total of 219.16. Nakai had led after the short program and successfully landed her opening triple Axel in the free skate. But a missed jump combination reduced her score, and she finished ninth in the free skate overall. Despite that, her earlier performance secured her a spot on the podium.

Liu’s journey to gold has been remarkable. She retired from skating at the age of 16 after the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, saying she was burned out and wanted to explore other interests. She returned to the sport two years later with a new mindset and more creative control over her music, programs, and costumes. That fresh start helped her rebuild her confidence and passion.

Her victory also made her the first American woman to win an individual Olympic medal since Sasha Cohen took silver in 2006, and the first U.S. woman to win Olympic gold in the event since Sarah Hughes in 2002.

Other notable performances included Japan’s Mone Chiba finishing fourth, American Amber Glenn placing fifth after moving up from 13th in the short program, and Russia’s Adeliia Petrosian finishing sixth after falling on a quadruple jump attempt.

After her win, Liu said she felt calm and happy during her skate and was grateful for the connection she felt with the audience. She described her journey as incredible and said sharing her creative ideas with the world means more to her than medals.

The women’s event closed the figure skating competition at the Milano Cortina Games, marking a historic moment for U.S. figure skating.