Figure Skating-Liu delivers stunner to take gold at world championships

BOSTON (Reuters) -American Alysa Liu produced a sensational and joyous performance and struck gold at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston on Friday in the sport's biggest event ahead of the 2026 Olympics.

Liu entered the contest in the lead thanks to her dazzling short program on Wednesday and followed it up with a stunning free skate that electrified the packed house at TD Garden.

The home crowd's eruptions built throughout the performance and reached deafening levels after she executed a flawless double Axel on her final jump.

She pointed skyward and beamed a big smile at the end of a routine that left no doubt the 19-year-old Californian would stand atop the podium for the first time.

The triumph caps a remarkable comeback for the amiable Liu, who retired early from competitive figure skating nearly three years ago after claiming bronze at the 2022 world championships.

"What the hell? That just keeps going through my mind over and over," Liu said after the win.

"I haven't process this yet. I haven't even processed my short program win yet. I don't know how I'm going to do this one," added Liu, who is the first American world champion since Kimmie Meissner in 2006.

Liu, who did a cartwheel as she went to collect her medal, finished with an overall score of 222.97 as three-time defending champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan took silver and her compatriot Mone Chiba earned bronze.

Sakamoto showed great sportsmanship after Liu's performance, embracing her and handing her a tissue before exchanging words.

Asked what was said, Liu said she wanted to keep it private.

"It was along the lines of you really inspire me," she said. "I love watching her skating and her jumps, they are so good."

Olympic champions Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano and Katarina Witt were among the nearly 20,000 on hand for the event at the famed arena.

CHOCK AND BATES EYE THIRD TITLE

Earlier, Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates stayed on track for a third consecutive global ice dance title after winning Friday's rhythm dance by nearly four points.

The Olympic champions scored 90.18 points and brought the TD Garden crowd to its feet with their electric "dancing through the decades" program to a wide mix of music that included everything from Jive Bunny to the Bee Gees and Miles Davis.

Canada's Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier were second, with Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson third.

"This was so fun, honestly," said Chock. "We really love dance and this program really showcases so many styles of dance, and it comes with a lot of joy."

Skating right before the Americans, Gilles and Poirier, world silver and bronze medalists, set a sizzling pace with their entertaining "Barbie and Ken at the beach" program to music by the Beach Boys.

But Chock and Bates were up to the challenge.

Gilles and Poirier were second with 86.44, losing points on the make-or-break twizzles -- side-by-side spins across the ice which require perfect synchronicity for top marks.

"I think it's a friendly competition," Gilles said on their rivalry with the Americans. "We have so much respect for them. They bring so much to the table, just like we do. It pushes us to skate better."

Fear and Gibson scored 83.86 points, setting them up for the first medal for a British team at a worlds or Olympics since Jayne Torvill and Christoper Dean returned from a decade-long layoff to win bronze at the 1994 Lillehammer Games.

Gilles and Poirier edged Chock and Bates to capture the Four Continents title last month by half a point, but the Americans' gaping lead heading into Saturday's free dance makes them the team to beat.

The six-times U.S. champions and married couple are aiming to become the first team to win three consecutive world titles since Russians Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov won four straight between 1994 and 1997.

This season's rhythm dance theme, as designated by the International Skating Union, was "social dances and styles of the 1950s, '60s and '70s," and so fans at the TD Garden were treated to everything from Abba to Earth, Wind and Fire.

(Reporting by Lori Ewing and Rory Carroll; Editing by Ken Ferris and Gerry Doyle)