After Shedding Anxiety, American Alysa Liu Rides Wave Of Joy To Olympic Gold Medal

MILAN — She flipped her hair. She shrugged. She dusted her hands off.

Alysa Liu makes winning an Olympic golden badge look easy.

The 20-year-old became nan first U.S. female to triumph nan Olympic singles title since 2002, electrifying nan crowd astatine Milano Ice Skating Arena pinch her “MacArthur Park” programme Thursday and overtaking Japanese rivals Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai, who won 2nd and third, respectively. The first point Liu did erstwhile she was crowned arsenic nan caller Olympic champion was hug Nakai, who was successful daze erstwhile nan people was announced.

After placing 3rd successful nan short program, Liu scored a monster 150.20 points successful her free skate, nan highest people for a women’s free skate each play successful world competition. Her choreographer Massimo Scali’s jaw dropped erstwhile he heard nan people publication successful Italian. Moments later erstwhile nan people flashed crossed nan screen, Liu simply cracked a subtle smirk.

American golden medalist Alysa Liu hugs Japanese bronze medalist Ami Nakai aft their last scores were revealed astatine nan Winter Olympics connected Thursday successful Milan.

(Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

She doesn’t attraction astir nan scores.

Liu has floated done her 2nd Olympics arsenic if she had not a azygous attraction successful nan world. A two-year status successful which she climbed Mount Everest, sewage her driver’s licence and started assemblage astatine UCLA made skating consciousness inconsequential. She returned only to person nosy connected her ain position and show her art.

The crowd astatine Milano Ice Skating Arena followed each beat, separator and jump of nan joyful disco program. U.S. teammate Amber Glenn stood connected a level adjacent nan area of her rink clapping overhead.

Glenn sewage redemption aft nan short program, putting up a season’s champion 147.52 during her free skate that vaulted her from 13th to 5th pinch a 214.91 full score. The only blemish was erstwhile Glenn put 1 manus down connected her last jump — nan aforesaid triple loop that costs her successful her short program. But arsenic she held 1 limb down her during a spiral successful her past sequence, Glenn smiled arsenic she looked into nan crowd. After nan program, she whipped her fist done nan aerial triumphantly.

Glenn became nan first U.S. female to onshore triple axels successful some Olympic programs. When her people flashed crossed nan screen, Glenn screamed and hugged her coach Damon Allen astir nan neck. She punched nan air. For 1 clip astatine these Games, Glenn was fighting backmost happy tears.

With a commanding lead, Glenn stayed safely successful nan leader’s chair for nan full 3rd group. From nan achromatic limb chair positioned adjacent nan area of nan rink, Glenn hyped Liu up during nan last group’s six-minute warmup, dancing on to K-pop songs and cheering each clip Liu skated by.

After Nakai’s people was announced, Glenn pulled Liu retired of nan achromatic armchair and onto her feet, presenting nan Olympic champion.