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At the age of 13, Alysa Liu stole the show when she became the youngest skater to win U.S. Figure Skating Championships held in Detroit on Friday.
The Richmond, California girl near San Francisco won the championship in amazing style by successfully landing two triple axels in her final long program, thereby dethroning 2018 winner Bradie Tennell at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Watch out world. Alysa Liu has arrived. ??#USChamps19 pic.twitter.com/PeYd7t0fbG— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) January 26, 2019
Watch out world. Alysa Liu has arrived. ??#USChamps19 pic.twitter.com/PeYd7t0fbG
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) January 26, 2019
The 4-foot-7-inch skater turned heads in August, when she became the youngest woman to land a triple axel in international competition, reports ESPN. On Friday, despite her age, she showed poise and ability under pressure on the big stage.
“I am kind of out of it right now,” Liu said to TeamUSA.org, “It’s not fully sunk in yet, I am not thinking about anything I just did.”
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Because of age, Alysa can’t compete in this season’s World Games because international competition require skaters to be 15 years old. So by the time the Winter Olympics come around in 2022, Alysa should be hitting her prime.
“I’m not too worried about that part,” Alysa told ESPN. “Because I get more time to work on my jumps, skating skills, spins and just trying to learn more.”
The women’s competition was without several big names, with members of the Olympic team including Karen Chen, Mirai Nagasu and Gracie Gold all missing it for various reasons.
“To handle the pressure like she did, and to push the technical envelope as far as she’s pushing it, at such a young age, is truly mind blowing,” Olympic champion Tara Lipinski said, who was at the competition. “I think she’s the future of U.S. ladies’ figure skating.”
In case you forgot that Liu is just 13, her sweet innocence is a cute reminder.
“I like to ride my bike a lot,” she said to the Detroit Free Press shortly after winning the championship. “I either play video games or I go to the park and ride my bike with them or play tag.”
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