How does it feel when the best team is not playing in the competition? Well, on the one hand, it surely acts as an added advantage for the competitors. However, on the contrary, most athletes would want fierce competition with the best of the best. But for Alysa Liu, that is not the case. With the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships going on, there is a noticeable group of athletes missing. Owing to the political tensions escalating in Ukraine, Russia has been barred from taking part in the ongoing World Cups. But why is Alysa not content with this?

Well, this would be the third straight year that Russian athletes will be missing from the Figure Skating World Championships. Not only from this particular event, but the Russian athletes have been barred largely from all major international sporting events since 2022. And speaking about the figure skating realm, well, the Russians were surely a top draw. Thus, when US star, Alysa Liu appeared before the media, she was immediately asked about the absence of the Russians. 

Liu’s reaction was, well, not at all encouraging. Expressing no interest in the topic, Liu stated, “Um, I don’t know. I mean, maybe. I think competitions are more fun the more people we can include in them. Yeah, I don’t know. Would you have more fun with them here?” Surely, Liu was in no mood to answer the question. She was perhaps more occupied with her comeback win. After retiring at the age of 16, Liu decided to come back to competitive figure skating. 

Putting up a scintillating show, Alysa Liu was the leader in the women’s short program. Mesmerizing the crowd with her stunning routine, Liu notched up 74.58 to take the lead. Now then, while this is an impressive achievement, it might as well have gone either way had the Russians competed. After all, it’s the Russians who have racked up more medals in the figure skating world championships than anyone else. 

More specifically, their stronghold has been the women’s singles. Between 2015 and 2021, five of the six world champions were from Russia! Nevertheless, coming back to Alysa Liu, her impressive return has made even the best in the sport speak up.

Ilia Malinin, alongside Kaitlyn Weaver, shares their take on Liu’s fascinating return to the competitive sphere

Ilia Malinin and Kaitlyn Weaver are both impressed by Alysa Liu’s unexpected stance! Her return to the competitive skating scene after her retirement at 16 hasn’t only shocked fans, but has taken aback the best of the sport. Malinin, the reigning men’s world champion, was left in awe after watching Liu at Team USA’s high-performance camp in August.

“It’s pretty incredible to me,” Ilia said. “I was just pretty blown away.” Liu’s decision to step back into the competitive environment after her retirement took Malinin by surprise. And he did not take long to express his admiration for her ability to perform at such a high level once again.

On the other hand, Kaitlyn Weaver, a two-time Olympian and three-time world medalist, highlighted the broader significance of Liu’s comeback, especially for young women in skating. Kaitlyn shared, “It’s wonderful to see women in particular prioritising their health and well-being and mental health, especially.” She even underscored how Liu’s story challenges the pressure athletes often feel to stay in competition at the cost of their well-being.

Weaver also pointed out how Alysa’s journey reflects a shift in the sport’s culture. “When you’re in the competitive sphere, that is all that you think about,” Weaver stated. She further added, “There’s a sense that if you get off the train, you won’t be able to catch up when you come back.” Liu’s return, however, defies that notion. It rather makes her comeback not just impressive, but meaningful for the future of skating.