Alysa Liu arrived at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Las Vegas as a two-time and reigning national champion with a lot of buzz, much of it the wrong kind.
She leaves without the title but with something that may prove just as important: an undiminished love of skating and competition.
“I didn’t expect much from myself, I expected the bare minimum, with how everything was going,” the 15-year-old told reporters after her fourth-place finish Saturday night. “And I’m definitely really happy with coming here and having this competition still go on. I was really grateful to compete again because I love competing.