Photo credit Melanie Heaney/U.S. Figure Skating
By Elvin Walker
The last time an American woman captured the World Championships crown, 19-year-old Alysa Liu was seven months old. A little over a year ago, the San Francisco Bay Area native was enjoying retirement from the sport to which she had dedicated most of her young life, blissfully unaware what the world had in store for her. Tonight, in front of a capacity crowd at Boston’s TD Garden, Liu became the 14th American woman to have the honor of ascending to the top of the World Championships podium.
“I haven’t been on my phone yet, so I don’t know who has called to congratulate me,” Liu said after the competition. “When I do have a minute, the first people I am going to call is my siblings because they have no idea that this is happening.”
Liu’s victory is as unexpected as it is remarkable for the simple fact that this season was, in the gold medalist’s words, “just for fun.” But as Liu trained, the competitive drive that propelled her to win two U.S. titles, an Olympic team berth and a bronze medal at the World Championships three years ago kicked into overdrive. A steely competitor, Liu’s infectious joy for competition could be felt all the way up into the rafters, and as her Donna Summer “MacArthur Park” free skate progressed, so too did her grit and determination.
“I have never regretted anything in my life – every decision that I made, I am glad that I did,” stated…
