2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships just crowned a new champion – and it’s Alysa Liu!
The 13-year-old figure skater just won the gold medal, reigning over 2018 champ Bradie Tennell and Mariah Bell, who placed second and third.
Alysa‘s win makes her the youngest ladie’s winner ever. That title was previously held by Tara Lipinski when she won at 14 back in 1997.
Huge congrats to Alysa on her big win!
If you missed it, Alysa made history in her short skate the night before after performing a triple axel – only the third American woman to do so.
30+ pictures inside of Alysa Liu, Bradie Tennell, and Mariah Bell at the event… More Here! »
Remember how Mirai Nagasu landed that triple axel at the 2018 Olympic Games and the entire world cheered?
Well, another history making moment just happened at the 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships with 13-year-old figure skater Alysa Liu.
Alysa, who is currently in second place after the short program yesterday (January 24), landed a triple axel, too!
You might be saying, why is this important? Because she’s only the THIRD PERSON EVER to land it at Nationals in the ladies’ competition – and the YOUNGEST, too!
“I was actually really happy I did a triple axel in the short because it’s nationals, so I was really happy,” Alysa shared.
Her next goal? A quad!
Bradie Tennell and Mariah Bell, who are in first and third place at the moment, are also pictured below.
We’re so bummed that while watching the 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships this weekend, we won’t be watching some of our fave skaters on the ice.
Mirai Nagasu, Gracie Gold and Karen Chen, as well as Maia and Alex Shibutani won’t be competing this year.
The ShibSibs announced last year that they had taken the year off of competing. Currently, they’re gearing up for the upcoming Stars on Ice tour.
For Mirai, she’s nursing an injury that resulted from practicing her triple Axel.
“I tore my labrum,” she shared. “I had bone fragments floating in my hip.”
Click inside to see why Karen Chen and Gracie Gold won’t be competing either… More Here! »
The 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships are this weekend and JJJ can hardly wait!
The week-long competition is taking place at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich., and will host all your fave figure skaters in ladies, men, pairs and ice dance.
If you’re like JJJ, and love to watch this on TV, we’ve got the entire television schedule where and how you can watch – and the all the skaters who will be competing!
This year’s competition will also introduce the inaugural Davis and White Global Excellence Award.
The new trophy is in honor of Meryl Davis and Charlie White, the first U.S. ice dance team to win an Olympic gold medal.
It will be presented annually based on a formula that includes placement/points at the U.S. Championships and world ranking points from designated international championship events. The senior ice dance team with the highest combined point total will receive the trophy.
The original bronze sculpture will portray the starting pose of Davis and White’s free dance at the 2014 Olympic Games.
Click inside for the full TV schedule and entries now!
