Alysa Liu lifts Team USA to gold in Olympic figure skating team event

Figure skating star Alysa Liu delivered a 74.90-point short program to help Team USA win the gold medal in the Olympic figure skating team event Sunday night in Milan.

The U.S. finished with a one-point margin over Japan after combining results across women’s, men’s, pairs and ice dance segments. The 20-year-old competed in her first Olympic event since returning from a two-year break following the Beijing Games.

The team event combines results across all four disciplines, with cumulative points determining final placement rather than head-to-head matchups. Liu’s score in the women’s short program helped set the Americans’ position early in the competition as the event progressed through the remaining segments. The gold was one of Team USA’s first medals of the Milan Cortina Games and continued its success in the event after also winning the team title at the 2022 Olympics.

Asian American athletes contributed across multiple segments of the U.S. lineup. In pairs, Ellie Kam competed as part of Team USA, making her Olympic debut in the team event. The gold medal also marked a milestone for ice dancer Madison Chock, who earned her first Olympic gold alongside partner Evan Bates after previously finishing on the podium at earlier Games.

Meanwhile, San Francisco native Eileen Gu, competing for China, won the silver medal in women’s freeski slopestyle after finishing second behind Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud. The 22-year-old star athlete led after the first run with an 86.58 before being overtaken on the final attempt.

The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics run through Feb. 22, with Asian American athletes from Team USA and other nations still scheduled to compete in upcoming snowboarding, short track speed skating and figure skating events.