DETROIT — A 4-7 breath of fresh air blew into the U.S. figure skating championships Thursday evening, barely visible above the boards on ice level.
But then she started jumping, and the future of American women’s skating became crystal clear.
Alysa Liu, at 13 too young to compete at the next three world championships, isn’t too young to make you wonder if she isn’t setting herself up, with a little luck and a lot of patience, to be a force at the next Winter Olympic Games in 2022 in Beijing.
Liu, the youngest female skater in history to land the triple axel, the toughest triple jump there is, performed nearly flawlessly in the women’s short program, finishing behind only defending national champion Bradie Tennell, 76.