American Figure Skater Alysa Liu Shines on Opening Night of World Championships

Alysa Liu has never been one to hesitate, whether it was her sudden retirement after the 2022 Winter Olympics or her equally surprising announcement of a comeback early last year. So, it was fitting that the 19-year-old American figure skater seized the moment on Wednesday night, the opening night of the World Figure Skating Championships, with a spontaneous cartwheel on her way to the ice—and then delivered a flawless performance to take the lead.

As her name echoed through the arena for the warm-up to her short program, Liu found herself briefly unsure of how to make her entrance. “Then I saw there was a lot of space,” she recalled with a smile, “and I thought, ‘What a great place to do a cartwheel!’” She executed it perfectly, setting the tone for a night where everything clicked. Scoring an international-best 74.58 points, Liu surged ahead of Japan’s Mone Chiba (73.44) and her American teammate Isabeau Levito (73.33), heading into Friday’s free skate.

Liu and Levito now stand poised to potentially end a nearly two-decade drought for the U.S., aiming to become the first American women’s world champion since Kimmie Meissner in 2006. “Moments like these made me realize 16-year-old me was so right,” Liu said, reflecting on her decision to step away from the sport when it stopped feeling like fun. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t decide to retire a little bit.”

A Bold Return Pays Off

Liu’s journey back to the ice has been anything but conventional. After burnout led her to retire at just 16, she defied doubters who questioned her choices. “People would tell me not to make the decisions I made,” she said, “but I’m really glad. I have good intuition, I think.” That intuition propelled her to the top of the leaderboard in Boston, where her triple flip-triple toe and triple lutz earned her massive points in a program that radiated confidence.

Behind her, Chiba delivered a fist-pumping performance that earned a standing ovation, while Levito—competing in her first event since an injury sidelined her after Skate America in October—showcased her signature artistry and technical precision. Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto, chasing a historic fourth consecutive title, sits fifth with 71.03 points after doubling a planned triple flip. Meanwhile, U.S. champion Amber Glenn, a pre-event favorite, stumbled on her triple axel and landed ninth with 67.65. “Just going to have to rely on my training,” Glenn said, looking ahead to the free skate.

Pairs Take Center Stage

In the pairs short program, Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara electrified the crowd with their Rolling Stones-inspired “Paint it Black,” scoring 76.57 to take the lead. The duo, aiming to reclaim the world title they lost last year, outpaced Italy’s surprising Sara Conti and Niccolo Macci (74.61). Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin (third), Georgia’s Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava (fourth), and the U.S.’s Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea (fifth) round out the top five. Defending champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada struggled, finishing seventh with 67.32 after costly errors.

A Championship with Deeper Meaning

Hosted by the Skating Club of Boston, this year’s worlds carry emotional weight. Nearly two months ago, six club members perished in a tragic collision between an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C. Skaters from around the globe have expressed hope that their performances can offer solace to a grieving community. “The kids we lost—across the country—were the future of the sport,” said Doug Zeghibe, the club’s CEO, whose roster boasts legends like Dick Button and Nancy Kerrigan. “So it’s really nice to see this being acknowledged.”

Beyond the emotional stakes, these championships—the last before the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics—will determine each nation’s quotas for the Winter Games. The American women, with Liu in first and Levito in third, are off to a strong start. Levito, the reigning world silver medalist, called her 73.33 “the best score I could have had today,” a testament to her resilience after months of battling a foot injury.

The Road Ahead

Friday’s free skate will test whether Liu and Levito can hold off a formidable Japanese contingent, including Chiba, fourth-place Wakaba Higuchi, and Sakamoto. For Liu, the outcome remains uncertain, but her focus is clear: “We’ll just have to see Friday if any of us win or not.”

With the men’s competition and ice dance kicking off Thursday, and medals to be awarded by Saturday night, Boston is witnessing a showcase of grit, grace, and history in the making. For Liu, whose cartwheel launched her into the spotlight, it’s a reminder that sometimes a leap—or a tumble—can lead to greatness.

By Vitalina Andrushchenko, Staff Writer