Alysa Liu Looks to Continue Making History in Lake Placid

A few days ago, 2019 U.S. ladies champion Alysa Liu landed a quadruple Lutz at the Aurora Games in Albany, New York, stunning the audience and her fellow competitors with her achievement. She is the first U.S. woman to land a quad in competition, although the quad Lutz has been in her arsenal for a while.
 
"I did try it last year in a regionals competition, but I decided not to use it for my programs before U.S. Championships because I just needed to focus on my other things before adding the quad Lutz," said Liu. "I got it in August, a little before my 13th birthday, I think I worked on it for two months, maybe longer."
Although the quad distinction did not officially "count" since the Aurora Games is not an ISU-sanctioned event, Liu noted that she has landed it in competition several times before that.
 
"I've done it in competition I think every competition I've done so far this season, but they are not big competitions, more local competitions, and private events and stuff like that," she clarified.
 
Of course, the quad Lutz will certainly impress when Liu completes it as planned in her international debut, at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Lake Placid 2019.
 
Other than making headlines with the quad, Liu has had a successful year, capped by winning the U.S. title, partially accomplished by landing three triple Axels between the short program and free skate. She achieved several distinctions by doing so; Liu is the youngest female skater to land a triple Axel at U.S. Championships and the first female competitor to land a triple Axel in the short program. She is also only the third woman to land the triple Axel at U.S. Championships, behind Tonya Harding and Kimmie Meissner. Of course, it should be noted that she is also the youngest U.S. ladies title winner, dethroning Tara Lipinski who had owned the title since 1997. This was not Liu's first U.S. title; she was also U.S. junior champion in 2018, and the 2016 U.S. intermediate champion. Despite her many accomplishments, though, Liu still feels she has work to do.
 
"It was a pretty good season. I feel you can always improve, but especially for me, skating skills are kind of lower than my jumps point-wise, like a lot lower, so I am trying to work on my skating skills more."
 
Liu started skating at age five and showed both promise and an interest in skating which encouraged her to continue.
 
"My dad saw it (skating) on TV and then he just took me and my sister to the rink one day. He saw that I was somewhat better than most others when they first start skating," remembers Liu. "He said that I was just really outgoing, I really wanted to skate and I didn't want to get off the ice, so he asked if I wanted to do group lessons and I said yes, so I started skating."
 
Unlike many skaters, who often switch coaches several times throughout their career, Liu still works with Laura Lipetsky, who taught her in her first group lessons and worked with legendary coach Frank Carroll. The consistency seems to suit Liu just fine.  
 
"I still skate there (at Oakland Ice Center in Oakland, California) so I have been there like my whole life and Laura has coached me since group lessons, so also my whole life," said Liu.  
 
Liu has said she was inspired by Michelle Kwan, and it is not hard to draw parallels between the two skaters – both were born in California; both were skating prodigies, showing great promise at a young age; and both Kwan and Liu broke their share of records and boasted "firsts" in the sport. Also an admirer of Yu Na Kim, Liu has spoken highly of Kwan and Kim, saying, "They are really good skaters, and I looked up to them when I was younger and while I started skating." In another interview, she noted that she admired Kwan's multiple U.S. titles and Worlds wins starting when she herself was a young skater, and her longevity in the sport, and it's not a stretch to think that Liu is well on her way to becoming a legend like Kwan.
 
In her upcoming season, Liu hopes to succeed by surpassing her previous scores and skating well for herself.
 
"I want to do well in every competition, skate clean, and improve myself every competition, be better than myself from last competition."
 
Her goals for the Junior Grand Prix Lake Placid are much the same.
 
"Well I want to do a clean program I think that is all I have in my expectations. I want to beat my season's best obviously, I kind of want to beat myself, so I am more focused on beating my best score and doing a clean program."
 
Liu will not be eligible to compete internationally at the senior level until the 2021-22 season, but that just gives her more time to further thrill the figure skating world.
 
In her highly anticipated junior international debut, Liu won the short program with a clean skate to "Don't Rain on My Parade" by Barbra Streisand. The newly-14-year-old scored 69.30 points, topping her previous international best by nearly 20 points (50.25 at 2018 Asian Open, advanced novice).

"I feel pretty good about myself (after the short program). I completed the three elements that were planned in the program. I did my spins and I tried to perform as well, so I feel pretty good about myself."
 
Don't miss Liu skate for her first JGP medal in the free skate, Saturday Aug. 31st at 3 p.m. ET!