Alysa Liu Two Points From Gold After Stunning Olympic Skate

Alysa Liu nailed the toughest jump combination any woman attempted Tuesday night, and now the world champion stands just two points away from Olympic gold.

The 20-year-old American landed a triple Lutz-triple loop perfectly in the women's short program, putting her in third place behind Japanese skaters Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto heading into Thursday's final. After a week of disappointments for American figure skaters in Milan, Liu delivered exactly when her country needed it most.

"I am really happy about how I skated," Liu said after stepping off the ice. "My siblings, my best friends and a ton of my family is out there. I saw them during my program, so I don't know. It was a really cool moment."

The performance was especially meaningful after fellow American Amber Glenn finished 13th, missing the final cut by one spot. Glenn walked off the ice in tears. Isabeau Levito, another U.S. hopeful, sits in eighth place after technical deductions left her far from podium contention.

Liu's strong showing comes after a tough week for American skating stars at these games. Power couple Madison Chock and Evan Bates took silver in ice dance amid scoring controversy. Two-time world champion Ilia Malinin shocked everyone by crashing out of the men's competition, finishing eighth after two falls in his free skate.

The U.S. team already secured gold in the team event last week, but individual medals have proven elusive. Now all eyes turn to Liu for Thursday's free skate finale.

Why This Inspires

Liu's approach to the mounting pressure shows wisdom beyond her years. When asked if she could beat her Japanese rivals, she refused to frame it as a competition against others.

"Whether I beat them or not is not my goal," Liu explained. "My goal is just to do my programs and share my story, and I don't need to be over or under anyone to do that."

That mindset helped her nail the hardest technical elements while staying emotionally connected to her performance. She mentioned feeling "super grounded" and connecting with her program "on another level" with her family watching from the stands.

Liu's family rarely gets to attend competitions like this, making Tuesday night even more special. Having them there gave her an anchor point during warmups and throughout her routine.

The math is simple: Liu trails by just two points with one performance left. In figure skating, where fractions separate podium finishes, that's nothing. Everything she's worked for comes down to Thursday's free skate, and if Tuesday night proved anything, she's ready for the moment.