Alysa Liu: “I thought that if I made it into the top 10, that would be the perfect result. This is wild, absolute madness, I just returned to the sport. I still can’t believe it. I didn’t return to figure skating for the medals. I came back because I realized I love skating again.”
Alysa Liu about winning the 2025 the World Championships.
original source: Sports
In a conversation with Sports correspondent Maya Bagriantseva, Alysa Liu shared his emotions after her victory at the 2025 World Championships in Boston. Here’s a translation.
“What did I talk about with Sakamoto? I won’t say. That’s very personal. I will say this: I’ve always admired her — she’s incredible. Honestly, she’s the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).”
When I came here, I thought that if I made it into the top 10, that would be the perfect result. This is wild, absolute madness, I just returned to the sport. I still can’t believe it, for crying out loud.
This was the best performance of my season, no, my life. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever skated like this before. What was going on with me today?!
After my last jump, I felt this rush of euphoria. It was like a tidal wave of energy that came out of nowhere. I felt so free, I just started dancing. And the audience — it felt like they carried me in their arms all the way to the end of the program.
How did I feel when I saw my scores? Honestly, I don’t even remember what I got. Was the score decent? I only remember complete shock and disbelief. Because this couldn’t be real. I probably won’t sleep tonight or tomorrow, I suspect. My adrenaline is through the roof — I wish I could measure it right now. I feel like I’ll never calm down.
I adore Kaori Sakamoto. I’ve been training alongside her all week, and it’s been an absolute joy. Her jumps are out of this world — it’s impossible to look away. And she’s such a cool person, even off the ice.
What brought me to victory? No doubt about it — it’s the “cartwheel” I did when I stepped onto the ice for the short program. That’s my secret to success, haha.
Am I the first American in 19 years to win World Championships gold? Cool, I didn’t know that. How did I achieve it? Do I even know?! Is it my gold dress that matches the gold medal? Yeah, sure, you can all think I dressed up on purpose for the occasion, haha. But in my wildest dreams, I never imagined I’d wear a gold medal around my neck.
What will I do during the off-season? I’ll definitely try a bunch of new things — I already have a couple of new sports in mind that I’ve been curious about for a while. And, of course, I’ll train like crazy. I have the absolute best coaches in the world. They put up with me, accept my chaotic train of thought, understand my feelings, motivate me, and never let me down.
I didn’t return to figure skating for the medals. I came back because I realized I love skating again. And you just can’t find this kind of adrenaline rush anywhere else,” Liu said, as quoted by Sports correspondent Maya Bagriantseva.
Related topics: Alysa Liu, Kaori Sakamoto, world championship
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