Alysa Liu delivered the U.S. its first women’s figure skating Olympic gold medal in 24 years, performing a near-flawless free skate on Thursday night in a glittering golden dress to upstage Japanese rivals Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai at the Milan Cortina Games.
The 20-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area, who had walked away from the sport after the Beijing Games four years ago only to launch a remarkable comeback, finished with a career-best 226.79 points.
Get a different perspective on Liu’s joyful free skate performance that earned her the first U.S. gold medal in the event since 2002.
After Alysa Liu’s unfiltered moment in the kiss and cry, Olympic figure skater Mariah Bell shares why she finds Liu’s authenticity so inspiring.