OLYMPICS: Figure skating-Dazzling Liu strikes gold to end U.S. women's Olympic medal drought

MILAN – Alysa Liu delivered a dazzling performance on Thursday to capture the gold at the Milano Cortina Games, ending a 20-year Olympic medal drought for Americans in women’s figure skating.

Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto took silver, while 17-year-old Ami Nakai claimed bronze.

Liu skated with joyful confidence, nailing jump after jump in her Donna Summer disco-themed free skate, electrifying the sold-out crowd.

"When I was skating, hearing the cheers, I felt so connected with the audience. I want to be out there again," Liu said. "The way I felt out there was calm, happy, and confident. I’ve been having fun. This experience is really cool."

Comeback Queen

Liu shocked the skating world when she retired at just 16 after the 2022 Beijing Games, citing burnout and a desire to explore other interests.

She returned two years later with a new perspective and full creative control over her music, programs, and costumes. That reset fueled a remarkable resurgence, including a world title in Boston last year.

Dressed in a shimmering gold outfit, Liu celebrated her flawless routine by playfully flicking her striped ponytail. Her teammate Ilia Malinin cheered from the stands as she earned a season’s best score of 150.20 for her free skate and a total of 226.79.

This was Liu’s second gold at the Games, following the U.S. triumph in the team competition. She entered Thursday’s competition as the U.S.’s last realistic hope for gold after teammates Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito fell out of contention in Tuesday’s short program.

Liu executed seven soaring triple jumps, becoming the first American woman to win an individual Olympic medal since Sasha Cohen’s silver in 2006 and the first U.S. gold medalist since Sarah Hughes in 2002.

Sakamoto’s Disappointment

Sakamoto, a three-time world champion and Beijing bronze medalist, hoped for her first Olympic gold but faltered on a jump combination. She finished second with a total of 224.90, visibly emotional after skating off with a bloodied knee.

"My goal was to get the gold medal, and now I feel so disappointed," said the 25-year-old.

Nakai, who led Sakamoto and Liu going into the free skate, stumbled on a triple loop-triple toe loop combination, settling for a triple-double and ultimately finishing ninth in the free skate. She secured bronze with a total of 219.16.

"I never thought I would make the Olympic team, much less earn a medal," said Nakai. "Moving forward, I am carrying the weight of the Japan team, so I’d like to do well for the next Olympics as well."

Japan’s Mone Chiba debuted with a fourth-place finish. Amber Glenn rebounded from 13th to fifth, while Russia’s Adeliia Petrosian fell on a quad attempt and placed sixth.

Liu reflected on her journey, emphasizing human connection over competition.

"The most important part of my story is human connection," she said. "That’s all I want in my life… I connect with a hella ton of people. My story is more important than anything—results or medals—and that’s what I will hold dear."

The women’s event closed the figure skating program at the Milano Cortina Games. Musician Megan Thee Stallion and tennis great Maria Sharapova were among the audience in attendance.

-Reporting by Rory Carroll in Milan; additional reporting by Lori Ewing and Agnieszka Flak; editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters