Alysa Liu announces Comeback

[Spiralgraph]

As was said on another skating forum, it's likely that Alysa wasn't chosen for the team competition because of the man who was following her at the Olympics and the policies of the Chinese government against Alysa's dad and Alysa too. Remember Alysa had guards watching over her for her protection from any harmdoers. Alysa didn't even arrive at the Olympics until after the Opening ceremomies. Hardly the perfect time to participate in the team event.

 

[el henry]

As was said on another skating forum, it's likely that Alysa wasn't chosen for the team competition because of the man who was following her at the Olympics and the policies of the Chinese government against Alysa's dad and Alysa too. Remember Alysa had guards watching over her for her protection from any harmdoers. Alysa didn't even arrive at the Olympics until after the Opening ceremomies. Hardly the perfect time to participate in the team event.

Actually, this was said on this forum two years ago. I know because I (among many others) said it.

Clearly Alysa decided not to participate in the Team Event, USFS would have been thrilled to have her. I (not just me) speculated due to safety reasons, but she never confirmed, so it was speculation.

I hope that she is in a better place now for her safety and for her mindset.

 

[Jammers]

The best coaching team Alysa ever had was Massimo Scali and Jeremy Abbott. What they did with her after her growth spurts to not only get most of her jumps back except for the quads and her improvement of her basic skating and speed was amazing. If only she hadn't dumped them as her coaches maybe she could have gone back having a ice dancing coach is what she needs to get her skating skills back along with a jump coach which is what she had with Massimo and Jeremy.

 

[NanaPat]

OK - if she does get 2 spots- who is she replacing?

Nobody (well, some random skater of any nationality who finished 25+ in the season's best list). GP assignments are individual, not by country. She would only "replace" a US skater if there are more than 18 other assignments for US ladies women singles skaters, due to the "max 3 entries per country per event rule". I doubt if this is something to worry about.

ETA: if the US chooses her for Skate America, she would indeed replace a US skater because of the 3-skater-from-a-country rule. But if they don't, she should receive 2 other assignments and allow them to choose 3 other US women for SA.

 

[slider11]

I think it's an interesting lesson for skaters that attending to your needs as a young skater is as important as grinding it out and then burning out at 20. I think Alysa was very wise to step away at 16 based on her physical and personal needs. If her motivation is back and the body complies, she could be a very interesting addition to the US ladies' line-up!

 

[RatedPG]

Alysa is a fighter. Love that she is coming back.
Kinda sad that she left. Without the Russians competing, she missed two Worlds competitions where she could have ended up in the podium. But, I understand why she stepped away.
USA needs her if they want to contend for three spots again.

 

[Jontor]

This is wonderful news! I always liked Alysa, and I need an American girl besides Lindsay to root for.

 

[katymay]

Alysa Liu announces return to competitive skating.

I am so happy and can‘t wait to watch her skating again.

What are your thoughts and wishes for the second part of her figure skating career?


https://www.usfigureskating.org/new...u-announces-return-competitive-figure-skating

It's a great idea. The US women are a bit weak internationally, the Russians are excluded. She might even win the OGM.

 

[Lamente Ariane]

Next season’s looking very interesting for sure. I’m curious if Alysa will be working with a new coaching team or one of the coaches they previously had. Especially interested to see their program choices (both music and choreographer)— I have a feeling they may want to go in a totally different direction from what we’ve seen them do before.

 

[Jammers]

Good for her, and good to know she's returning on her own terms, like someone said. Her return is going to make competitions more exciting for me. I like Bradie who has been struggling with injuries in the last several years, and I'm worried she'll retire soon, and I also like Lindsay and Starr. But Alisa would be my new US women fave. I liked her classiness and vibrant skating in her last junior and first senior year.

I think Starr is going to have a hard time getting a GP next season with Alysa coming back perhaps Bradie too and a youngster like Elyce-Lin Gracey moving up there may not be a spot for her certainly not two GP's. It's time to look to the future.

 

[apgold]

Happy to hear that Alysa has rediscovered her love for skating again and wants to compete. It's funny, I stopped following her on IG a few months ago since I only followed her for FS content. Now that I've unfollowed her, she is posting skating content again, lol.

It will be interesting to see her skate as a grown woman and not the prodigy she was hailed to be in her early teens. (I have seen Alysa live twice - once in 2019 when she was competing at the short lived Aurora Games in Albany, and again at SOI in 2022. I remember seeing her dad at the hotel bar/restaurant where I ate dinner in Albany and she came to join him soon after.)

 

[skateluvr]

Wow I am surprised but not shocked.I wished she had stayed. It was important to me. She has killer instinct and so talented. Easy to love this special young lady. And I too felt the story was not yet finished- a sort of premonition though maybe it was a strong desire. You go girl!

 

[moonvine]

As was said on another skating forum, it's likely that Alysa wasn't chosen for the team competition because of the man who was following her at the Olympics and the policies of the Chinese government against Alysa's dad and Alysa too. Remember Alysa had guards watching over her for her protection from any harmdoers. Alysa didn't even arrive at the Olympics until after the Opening ceremomies. Hardly the perfect time to participate in the team event.

You're probably right. I had somehow forgotten that.

 

[moonvine]

I think Starr is going to have a hard time getting a GP next season with Alysa coming back perhaps Bradie too and a youngster like Elyce-Lin Gracey moving up there may not be a spot for her certainly not two GP's. It's time to look to the future.

I think we should normalize women having longer skating careers myself.

 

[Mathman]

I don't really understand the anguish over the possibility of Alyssa being assigned Grand Prix events. If there are X spots available and X+1 skaters who aspire to secure them, well, that's competition.

Actually, that's life.

 

[noskates]

My post wasn't intended to be in anguish - I was just curious as are the other people commenting! I do think there are a few women skaters that need to be a titch worried with Alysa coming back - but that's not a bad thing!

 

[4everchan]

My post wasn't intended to be in anguish - I was just curious as are the other people commenting! I do think there are a few women skaters that need to be a titch worried with Alysa coming back - but that's not a bad thing!

Pretty much all of them If she's healthy and has regained her jumping ability, she is going to be in the mix.

 

[Skater Boy]

As none of the current group of American ladies has taken control of the US scene Alysa's timing is perfect. Add to the fact that the skating scene does not have the Russian ladies yes OGM is not impossible. Though some Japanese, Korean and Belgium ladies might have a word or two. I do wonder if Bradie Tennell will end up like POlina?

 

[ramurphy2005]

To answer the coaching question from Phil Hersh, Alysa is going to be working with Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali.

 

[Mathman]

I think that this will be an interesting challenge for Alyssa, and I greatly look forward to cheering her on.

Has she grown any taller and bigger in the last couple of years? Will her jumps come back naturally without interruption, or will it be a unique and different kind of struggle? She won't be able to get PCSs just for being cute any more -- I wish I could be a fly on the wall and watch Scali (none better qualified) teach her the tricks of mature presentation.