Alysa Liu retired in 2022 and is coming back in 2024

[Marco]

It would be enormously dumb of USFS to promise anyone anything two years in advance, especially since they've added numbers to the selection process, which impacts the ranking for the Team Event. They'd have a lot of tap dancing to do if someone else had significantly higher numbers.

Thanks kwanfan1818 for the link upthread.

The strategy for selecting athletes to compete in the Team Event will be based on maximizing the potential for peak performances and placements in the Team Event as well as the athlete’s/team’s individual event.

Once she makes the Olympic team, the criteria for who then gets chosen for TE are not that clear. Apparently there is going to be an approved rank of order based on their BOW, but there is no weighting attached to each criterion.

 

[overedge]

Wild and crazy thought here, but maybe she's coming back to competitive skating because she has rediscovered her love for skating. Not because she was promised something for returning.

She already achieved things that literally only a few skaters out of thousands have achieved - going to the Olympics, national champion, World medalist. I can't imagine that not having an Olympic gold medal was keeping her awake at night.

The OGM is not the only reason to participate in a sport. If it was 99.9999% of athletes would be disappointed.

 

[MacMadame]

Wild and crazy thought here, but maybe she's coming back to competitive skating because she has rediscovered her love for skating. Not because she was promised something for returning.

I doubt she was promised anything either. OTOH, looking at the current US Women, I can see her thinking that she has a shot at making the World and Olympic teams if she gets all her jumps back up through 3Z. I see that as very doable for her.

She may be able to get the 3X and/or the 4S back too and, if so, she would totally be competitive for an Olympic medal.

 

[Karen-W]

I think she'll be competitive for another Worlds medal or an Olympic medal even without the 3a or a quad as long as she has a reliable triple-triple.

 

[mattiecat13]

Often, it’s Terry asking questions to Tara about her career in relation to what’s happening in the competition. Sometimes he asks Johnny, too, but when he’s asking about a winner’s mentality, he asks Tara (for obvious reasons ).

Johnny competed as a senior for over ten years, was judged under IJS, won three US national titles (and tied for a fourth), and participated in two Olympics. Personally, I’d much rather hear about his competitive experiences than Tara’s, whose competitive career was quite paltry in comparison.

 

[Marco]

I doubt she was promised anything either. OTOH, looking at the current US Women, I can see her thinking that she has a shot at making the World and Olympic teams if she gets all her jumps back up through 3Z. I see that as very doable for her.

She may be able to get the 3X and/or the 4S back too and, if so, she would totally be competitive for an Olympic medal.

Did she ever have a 4sal?

 

[MacMadame]

Did she ever have a 4sal?

People say she did.

 

[tony]

People say she did.

Did they, or did you actually mean the Lutz?

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Johnny competed as a senior for over ten years, was judged under IJS, won three US national titles (and tied for a fourth), and participated in two Olympics. Personally, I’d much rather hear about his competitive experiences than Tara’s, whose competitive career was quite paltry in comparison.

Yeah, I get nothing from her broadcast. All she knows about skating is how to do it. Johnny actually knows things, though inthe stupidity of broadcast it gets covered over.

 

[mattiecat13]

Yeah, I get nothing from her broadcast. All she knows about skating is how to do it. Johnny actually knows things, though inthe stupidity of broadcast it gets covered over.

Plus Johnny skated as a pro for 10 years so he has insight with that world and its international participants, too. Tara’s commentary is hampered by her own limited experiences.

 

[kwanfan1818]

All of that is irrelevant: Weir never won a World or Olympic singles championship. For years, teamed with sports broadcasters, Button alone and then with Fleming, and Hamilton owned network TeeVee commentary. And Gannon worked with those partners for years. Lipinski follows the model. Weir really doesn’t.

Part of Rippon’s and Wagner’s schtick is when they talk about their lack of Olympic titles and his lack of World medals. But they’re not on the network feed.

TeeVee and the Olympic champion model are both out-dated.

 

[overedge]

I would sooner listen to a professional sports broadcaster who takes the sport seriously and has educated themselves about how it works. Being an Olympic or World champion or medalist doesn't on its own qualify someone to be a competent sports broadcaster.

 

[PRlady]

I would sooner listen to a professional sports broadcaster who takes the sport seriously and has educated themselves about how it works. Being an Olympic or World champion or medalist doesn't on its own qualify someone to be a competent sports broadcaster.

I remember Howard Cosell mocking the jockocracy many years ago. He had some good points.

 

[mattiecat13]

Terry is from the jockocracy world and I suspect knew little about skating when he was partnered with Dick and Peggy. I’d love to hear his thoughts on his favorite skaters/programs and why and the changes he’s observed (good and bad) since he’s been commentating

Lipinski only follows the “Olympic Gold Medalist” model. As to career length, number and variety of titles, and legacy in the sport, I’d say Dick, Peggy and Scott are way ahead of her. As is Johnny.

 

[tony]

But then again, it’s network television and network television has been dead for what, almost a decade now?

In almost all cases, we are lucky to not have to listen to any of Tara, Johnny, Ashley , or Adam.

 

[carriecmu0503]

Is it possible to get this thread that is supposed to be about Alysa back to focusing on Alysa?

 

[Vagabond]

No. It's a lost cause.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I think I lasted about five minutes on the network version, having clicked the wrong Peacock icon, and I smiled to hear Gannon, but I was out after maybe 45 seconds of Weir, and Lipinski hadn't said a word yet.

I liked Rippon and Wagner sometimes, and I think they probably would have said less during the programs if they didn't have voices in their ear urging them to, but I mostly like their podcast. But I also liked Dick Button in his '60'70''s Wide World of Sports days, until I didn't anymore.

 

[Tesla]

Is it possible to get this thread that is supposed to be about Alysa back to focusing on Alysa?

Resistance is futile.

 

[Jarrett]

Lipinski's goal was the Olympics, which she achieved in her third senior season. Liu went to the Olympics and also earned a Worlds medal in her first senior season

I have little doubt that if Tara didn’t win in 98 she would have stayed until 2002 especially since it was an olympics in the USA. Would her hips have lasted that long? Who knows!

 

[Sparks]

I have little doubt that if Tara didn’t win in 98 she would have stayed until 2002 especially since it was an olympics in the USA. Would her hips have lasted that long? Who knows!

She couldn't perform in SOI much after 1998

 

[overedge]

I have little doubt that if Tara didn’t win in 98 she would have stayed until 2002 especially since it was an olympics in the USA. Would her hips have lasted that long? Who knows!

Again, the OGM is not the only medal of value in skating, and ice is slippery. Someone who looks like a sure bet one year can be completely out of the running in the following years. Tara was a world champion and US champion before 1998, and those titles alone would have been enough credentials to give her a solid professional career.

 

[Coco]

She couldn't perform in SOI much after 1998

She was with SOI for four years. She missed shows due to injuries/surgery, but skated the 2002 tour for sure.

 

[Sylvia]

Saturday, April 13, 2024 at the Yerba Buena rink in San Francisco (Alysa was not advertised for the SC of San Francisco's gala show) - less than 1-minute clip that includes a nice 3F:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1779708223278247990

 

[skatfan]

Saturday, April 13, 2024 at the Yerba Buena rink in San Francisco (Alysa was not advertised for the SC of San Francisco's gala show) - less than 1-minute clip:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1779708223278247990

They honored her longtime (now ex) coach Laura Lipetsky- maybe that’s why she skated.

 

[Sylvia]

Charlie Tickner was honored at this year's gala - from the Club Shows & Benefits thread:

Skating Club of San Francisco's 2024 Gala honors Charlie Tickner on Saturday, April 13, 7:30-9:30 pm at Yerba Buena Ice Skating & Bowling Center in San Francisco ...

Performers scheduled to appear include: Madison Chock and Evan Bates, Jeremy Abbott, Massimo Scali [one of Alysa's current coaches], Polina Edmunds, Ellie Korytek and Timmy Chapman, Daniil Murzin [coached by Laura Lipetsky], Michael Xie, Mia Kalin, Sierra Venetta.

Apparently Alysa Liu also performed in Skating Club of SF's show? Although her name was not promoted in advance.

Seems so - she appears in this young skater’s “off ice pics with the stars” video (honoree Charlie Tickner is the first one): https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5vMXaguxCh/

ETA - more photos with guest & club skaters (Alysa in 3rd photo): https://www.instagram.com/p/C5u7DPLrVrb/

ETA that I read on X that the song Alysa skated to is by Laufey.

 

[Frau Muller]

Looks good - ready for Solo Dance!

 

[Trillian]

ETA that I read on X that the song Alysa skated to is by Laufey.

I’ve been waiting for a Laufey program - she’s a young jazz-pop singer with a gigantic fan base among people Alysa’s age. Great music choice IMO.

 

[Rukia]

ETA that I read on X that the song Alysa skated to is by Laufey.

It's "Let You Break My Heart Again"

Gorgeous bit we saw! Excited to see what she's cooking up.

 

[Sylvia]

I’ve been waiting for a Laufey program - she’s a young jazz-pop singer with a gigantic fan base among people Alysa’s age. Great music choice IMO.

It's "Let You Break My Heart Again"

Thank you!