U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu said she didn't care if she medaled. She won gold

"Alysa Liu has won figure skating gold, the first U.S. woman to do so in over two decades. It's an ironic outcome for the 20-year-old, who said earlier this week that she wasn't motivated by a medal. "I'm OK if I do a fail program. I'm totally OK if I do a great program. No matter what the outcome is, it's still my story," Liu said after finishing Tuesday night's short program in third place."

"Liu, 20, soared to new heights in Thursday's free skate, dazzling the crowd with an absolutely joyful skate to Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park Suite" in a shimmering gold dress. She and her signature raccoon -striped ponytail soared, exuding a carefree confidence and getting the crowd onto its feet. Her easygoing demeanor and look of genuine enjoyment have been her hallmarks since she returned to the sport in 2024 two years after retiring at age 16 immediately following the Beijing Olympics, where she came in sixth."

"Liu's performance on Thursday shot her straight to the top of the leaderboard with two skaters behind her, guaranteeing her spot on the podium. She stayed there through the end of the night. Japan's Kaori Sakamoto, the penultimate skater, ended up with a silver medal, while the last skater of the night, her compatriot Ami Nakai, claimed bronze. It was a literal passing of the torch: Sakamoto, who won bronze in Beijing, is retiring after these Olympics;"

Alysa Liu captured the Olympic figure skating gold medal with a joyful free skate that propelled her from third after the short program to first overall. Liu performed to Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park Suite" in a shimmering gold dress, skating with carefree confidence and visible enjoyment. She returned to competition in 2024 after retiring at 16 following the Beijing Olympics, where she finished sixth. Japan's Kaori Sakamoto won silver and Ami Nakai, 17, took bronze, creating a generational handoff. Teammate Amber Glenn rebounded from an earlier mistake to deliver a strong free skate and finish fifth.

Read at www.npr.org