"Alysa Liu joined the realm of Bay Area figure skating legends Thursday when her extraordinary free skate program earned her Olympic gold at the Milan Cortina Games. The 20-year-old Liu, once the youngest skater to win the U.S. championships, had icons of Northern California skating cheering her on in Italy: Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano were watching together from inside the arena as Liu ended the American skating gold drought of 24 years."
"Vincent Zhou, a South Bay native who won gold in the team event at the 2022 Olympics, called Liu's return to the ice the greatest modern comeback story in the sport in an Instagram Story celebrating her gold. That story included a retirement at age 16, a journey of self-discovery and an embrace of a carefree outlook that helped her shake off the pressure of the international stage."
"Peggy Fleming Fleming, born and raised in San Jose, became the third American woman to win Olympic gold when she finished first at the 1968 Grenoble Games. She won world championships in 1966, 1967 and 1968 and captured the bronze medal at the 1965 world championships. She retired from competition in 1968 and took to the ice in professional touring shows."
Alysa Liu, age 20 and once the youngest U.S. champion, secured Olympic gold with an extraordinary free skate at the Milan Cortina Games. Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano attended the event as Northern California icons, and Vincent Zhou praised Liu's comeback, noting a prior retirement at 16 and a subsequent journey of self-discovery and a carefree outlook that alleviated competitive pressure. Liu became the fourth Bay Area skater to win individual Olympic gold and the seventh regional medalist overall, with Karen Chen among recent Bay Area Olympians. Historical Bay Area champions include Peggy Fleming, a San Jose native and 1968 Olympic gold medalist.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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