Alysa Liu delivered a spectacular performance to win the gold medal at the Milano Cortina Games, ending the United States’ medal drought at the Winter Olympics.
Her win is a big deal because it marks the first time in two decades that an American woman has won an Olympic medal in the event.
Liu performed with great energy and enthusiasm, landing every jump perfectly in her Donna Summer disco-themed free skate.
In this nail-biting competition, Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai won silver and bronze medals respectively.
“When I was skating and heard the cheers, I felt so connected to the crowd. I want to be there again,” Liu said as she expressed her emotions during the competition.
“The way I felt there was calm, happy and confident. I had fun. This experience is really cool,” she added.
The 20-year-old’s recent victory showed her spectacular comeback after four years of uncertainty as to whether she would return or not.
Liu performed perfectly, landing all seven of her triple jumps. The crowd cheered for her as she performed three jumps in a row. She finished the competition with a total score of 226.79 points and received a standing ovation.
After claiming the coveted gold medal at the Olympics, Liu became the first American woman to win women’s figure skating gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002.
