Alysa Liu disco-danced to the top of the podium at the Assago Arena in Milan on Thursday night as she was crowned the first US women’s Olympic figure skating champion since 2002.
Liu, 20, who quit the sport for two years in the wake of a seventh place finish on her Games debut as a 16-year-old in Beijing, stunned in a golden sequinned dress to the strains of a Donna Summer medley.
Shattering her season’s best for the free skate by almost four points, Liu climbed above Japanese pair Kaori Sakamoto, who took silver, and 17-year-old Ami Nakai, who led by two points after Tuesday’s short program.
Adeliia Petrosian, the Russian whose participation the Games had been questioned due to her links with controversial coach Eteri Tutberidze, fell on her opening attempt at a quad toe-loop, and finished the night in sixth place.
Liu’s triumph brought an end to 12 years of Russian domination in the event, started by Adelina Sotnikova in Sochi in 2014, and gave the US their first win since Sarah Hughes swept to gold in Salt Lake City.
Cheered on by Ilia Malinin, the ‘Quad God’ who crashed out of medal contention in a dramatic conclusion to the men’s event, Liu reeled off seven triples to stomp to the top of the standings with a total of 226.79.
Sakamoto, the three-time world champion and Beijing bronze medallist who had declared this Games would bring an end to her illustrious career, finished some way short of her season best and ranked just under two points behind the American.
Skating last, to the strains of ‘Wonderful World’, the 17-year-old Nakai, who topped the standings by two points after the short program, struggled out of a triple lutz yet ultimately appeared delighted to take bronze on her Olympic bow.
Most eyes had been on Petrosian, who had scored a lifetime best 72.89 for her quad-free, Michael Jackson-themed short programme on Tuesday, leaving her less than four points off third-placed Liu.
But her early stumble cost Petrosian any chance of a medal, and all but extinguished the ongoing issues regarding her conecting to Tutberidze, who was criticised by then International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach for her response to Kamila Valieva’s downfall four years ago.
Meanwhile there was redemption of sorts for Liu’s American team-mate Amber Glenn, who started in 13th place after landing only a double loop in her short program, but scored the third best free skate score of the night to leap to fifth.
