Alysa Liu, once the youngest US figure skating champion at 13, made a stunning return to competition, taking the lead at the world championships after a commanding short program. Now 19, Liu delivered a career-best performance at TD Garden, earning 74.58 points her highest international score yet. Skating to Promise by Laufey and Dan Wilson, she captivated the audience and exited the ice with tears in her eyes.
“Outside of scores, I think I skated the best out of any competition,” she said. “I was trying to stop my lips from quivering.”
Competing 18th in a field of 33, Liu’s elegant and confident routine stood firm against the top contenders, securing her the top position heading into the free skate. She is now in position to become the first American woman to win a world title since 2006. Japan’s Mone Chiba placed second with 73.44, while fellow American Isabeau Levito, returning from an injury, secured third with 73.33.
Liu herself seemed surprised by her position at the top. “I don’t know. It’s so strange. I really don’t know,” she admitted. “I would say it’s definitely my mentality. It’s hard to get in whatever state of mind I have, but I really like it. And everyone keeps telling me it seems to ‘work’ I don’t know what that means, but I’ll just keep skating.”
Her program featured a flawless triple Lutz–triple toe loop combination, fast and centered spins, and expressive choreography, earning her a standing ovation. She even added a spontaneous cartwheel during her introduction. “I was thinking of doing something cool,” she explained. “I saw the space I had and thought, ‘A cartwheel will be it.’”
Liu’s comeback has exceeded expectations. After earning a bronze medal at the 2022 world championships, she retired from competition before deciding to return last year. With an eye on the 2026 Winter Olympics, she remains focused on delivering her best performances. “Doesn’t really change anything,” she said of leading after the short program. “My goals are still the same. I want to put out a really good performance for my free skate. The ideal one that would be a dream.”
Her coaches met her at the boards with quiet smiles and a warm “welcome back.”
Levito, last year’s world silver medalist, also made a strong return after missing four months due to a foot injury. Her Moon River program was another crowd favorite. “I had 1,000 thoughts from start to finish in that entire program,” she said. “At times I was thinking about something not even related to skating. I understand why I was nervous I thought I would forget how to compete. But I’m so happy to be back.”
Meanwhile, three-time defending world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan struggled with an uncharacteristic mistake, scoring 71.03 for fifth place. She under-rotated her opening jump, a rare misstep that may have cost her a chance at a fourth consecutive world title.
Amber Glenn, considered a favorite after an undefeated Grand Prix season, stumbled on her triple Axel and finished ninth with 67.65. South Korea’s Kim Chae-yeon, last month’s Four Continents and Asian Winter Games champion, placed 11th with 65.67 after a shaky landing on her triple toe loop.
Russian skaters, who had dominated the event in recent years, remained absent due to the ongoing ban from international competition. Their absence has reshaped the field, opening doors for rising contenders from Japan, South Korea, and the United States.
The competition began under a somber atmosphere, with a tribute planned for 28 members of the skating community lost in a tragic plane crash earlier this year.
The event continues with the pairs’ free skate, along with the start of the men’s and ice dance competitions. Medals will be awarded by Saturday night, and national placements will determine quotas for the 2026 Winter Games.
For Liu, this season has already exceeded expectations. “I didn’t expect too much,” she admitted. “But I know that next season will be even better.”
For now, she leads the world and is skating as if she never left.
