Alysa Liu, American figure skater, at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, Massachusetts.

By Zack Pierce

Alysa Liu was 16 years old and a rising American figure skating star when she decided to walk away from the sport in 2022. When she returned last year, she said a little retirement had done her some good.

Two major titles later, who could argue?

Now 20, Liu won the women’s competition Saturday at the Grand Prix Final, the culminating event of the sport’s annual Grand Prix season, for her second major international prize of the calendar year after also winning gold at the world championships in March.

In a tight competition, the American won with an overall score of 222.49, ahead of two Japanese skaters on home ice in the city of Nagoya. Ami Nakai was second (220.89) and Kaori Sakamoto was third (218.80).

“I’m not gonna lie, I feel a little bit sweaty, a little hot, but I’m feeling pretty good overall,” Liu said after the win.

Liu wasn’t perfect this week. She finished second to Japan’s Mone Chiba after Friday’s short program and had just the third-best free skate score. But Chiba, the leader after the short program, faltered in the free skate, falling on both a triple loop and a triple Salchow early in her routine. Nakai, who was third after the short program, had the second-best free skate, but it wasn’t quite enough to close the gap with Liu.

To read the entire article: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6867344/2025/12/06/alysa-liu-grand-prix-final-gold-olympics/

Photo credit: Vbrunophotog, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons