Figure skating: ISU Grand Prix Final 2025: Alysa Liu strikes women’s gold on competition debut

Alysa Liu: ‘I do really enjoy a triple Axel’

Liu believes she has another gear in her physically, and she plans to incorporate the triple Axel in which case might make her a betting man’s favourite for gold at the Games.

“I never do anything to win so I love risk and it would be very risky to put a triple Axel in,” Liu said. “But I do really enjoy a triple Axel and I really want to know what it feels like to run a free skate or run a short program where I do have a triple Axel.

“Just the thought of that it is very intriguing to me and I want to satisfy my curiosity and that includes doing it in a competition in an arena where people are watching me. I love to perform and I feel like I would go on the show whether I do it or not.”

Chiba disintegrated amid expectations of her to win her first major international title. She fell on back-to-back jumps, first a triple loop and then a triple Salchow.

Chiba beat herself up over her performance, vowing to bounce back at the Japanese nationals in two weeks’s time with Olympic qualification on the line.

“I’m still not sure of how I feel at the moment but today I felt weak like I never have before,” the 20-year-old said.

“I was nervous before going into the loop and Salchow and I tried to discover my usual feel – but I couldn’t, and lost myself. I got it back from the [double] Axel onwards which was good but overall, I was really poor.

“I couldn’t show what I’ve been working on in practice. This is the worst humiliation I’ve felt all season. I betrayed myself and that’s incredibly disappointing and sad.

“I need to look at myself hard in the mirror and work harder than I ever have for the nationals.”