Can Alysa Liu win Olympic figure skating gold?

Where she stands and what needs to happen

Heading into the free skate, she occupies a medal position and carries much of Team USA’s hopes to end a lengthy drought in the women’s Olympic singles event. The United States has not stood on the podium in this discipline since 2006, so her performance carries outsized significance for the team and the country’s figure-skating narrative.

Key factors that will determine the outcome

• Clean execution: Landing the technical elements, especially the jump content, will be essential. Mistakes on jump landings or underrotations are costly in both base value and Grade of Execution.
• Program components: Skating skills, transitions, and overall performance quality influence the program component scores and can offset small technical shortfalls.
• Competitors’ performances: Medal outcomes often hinge on whether the skaters ahead make errors; clean skating from rivals raises the bar, while mistakes open the door.

Why this matters

A podium for her would end a two-decade U.S. medal drought in the ladies’ Olympic event and would mark a major milestone for American figure skating. For the athlete herself, a successful free skate would validate the trajectory that put her in medal contention in Milan. For the team, it would restore a presence on the Olympic women’s podium and energize the U.S. program heading out of these Games.

What to watch during the free skate

• The opening sequence and early jump passes—those set the tone.
• Whether she keeps the program clear of falls and major deductions.
• The judges’ program component reaction to her choreography and interpretation.

It’s still a tight contest. If she skates a composed, technically sound free program and the leaders falter even slightly, she has a clear path to convert a podium spot into a medal — and possibly to reach the top step.