FIGURE SKATING
Richmond’s Alysa Liu sticks her landing during her winning performance at the U.S. championships Friday.
The accession of Alysa Liu continued Friday night as the Richmond teenager made more figure skating history.
Liu, 14, was not perfect in the free skate but landed eight triple jumps, including two triple axels, to rally to defend her U.S. Figure Skating title in Greensboro, North Carolina. She rebounded from second place in the short program just as she did a year ago in Detroit to become the youngest skater in history to win a U.S. championship.
Relying on the most technically difficult program of any American woman, Liu won going away to become the youngest two-time winner in history. It did not matter that the teen underrotated her quadruple lutz to lose 1.58 points.
No other competitor in the 18-skater field dared try a triple axel — 3½ rotations — much less a quadruple jump. The jumping spectacle coupled with solid component scores was more than enough to offset a brilliant show by runner-up
Mariah Bell, who was 10.31 points behind the champion.
On a dramatic night when the three medalists were the final skaters, Liu had more than enough to overcome Bell’s finest moment with superior artistry and seven clean triple jumps.
Bell had a total of 225.21 points to overtake first-day leader Bradie Tennell, who fell on her final triple jump to score 220.86 points.
America’s three leading skaters were well ahead of 2018 Olympian Karen Chen of Fremont, who was fourth in an impressive return after struggling with a lingering foot injury and starting her freshman year at Cornell University.
Another East Bay skater, Sierra Venetta of Danville, completed seven triple jumps with a couple of errors to go from 11th in the short program to seventh overall.
Liu was not feeling the pressure three hours before the competition began, according to her father, Arthur Liu. He said his daughter had nothing special planned after a final warmup. She would rest at their hotel and return to
Greensboro Coliseum for the showdown.
“If she wins, that’s great. If not, we’ll come back next year,” said Arthur Liu.
Next year’s championships are scheduled for SAP Center in San Jose, the arena that played host to the 2018 Olympic trials. Most skating experts expect the same women to lead the American charge through the latest Olympic cycle that culminates with the 2022 Beijing Games when Liu would be eligible for senior international competition.
Although she is now the two-time U.S. champion,
Liu will have to compete in the Junior World Championships later this year.
For now, Arthur Liu and coach Laura Lipetsky have tried to shield Liu from feeling she has to satisfy others’ expectations.
Alysa Liu now has won a U.S. crown three consecutive years, including the junior title in 2018.
Also Friday, Christina Carreira and partner Anthony Ponomarenko of Morgan Hill placed fourth in the rhythm dance with a score of 78.02 points. Olympians Madison Chock and Evan Bates finished first.