Alysa Liu Joins Mariah Bell, Karen Chen on USA Figure Skating Team for Olympics – San Bernardino Sun

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Alysa Liu certainly didn’t look like she was suffering from COVID-19 on Saturday, when her smiling face was beamed into the Bridgestone Arena by Zoom following the announcement of Team USA’s entry into the Olympics. Beijing Association.

Biggest question now: When will her quarantine end?

Liu joined US champion Mariah Bell and runner-up Karen Chen in the women’s three-way team, although she was forced to withdraw from the national team after a positive test. Liu engrossed in free skateboarding with friends in Facetime chat from her Nashville hotel room, where she will stay until two negative test results come in.

Only then will she be able to return to her training base in Colorado and begin preparing for next month’s Winter Olympics.

“I really feel fine,” said 16-year-old Liu, a two-time national champion who finished third after a short show. “I mean, it depends on how fast I can test negative. I really have no idea about anything. I guess I’ll stay here until I’m COVID free, in the hotel room I stayed in. ”

What did she do during her sudden isolation?

“Well, I didn’t do anything today,” Liu said with a smile. “I was like, half of the boys event because I forgot they played today, and I was like, ‘Oh my God! They have started. ‘ So I watched some of them. I watched some Netflix. That’s it. That’s all I did. And I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow or whatever. I haven’t had time to talk to my team yet.”

Liu is one of the few American women who can achieve the triple ax high; she fell while jumping 3 1/2 in her short show. And she will almost certainly need to clearly beat it – and everything else, for that matter – to push one of the heavily favored Russian women off the podium in Beijing.

“I couldn’t predict how we would do it,” Liu said. “I hope we all do well, the way we want to. But I do not know “.

Liu’s selection to the Olympic team became something of a big deal when 14-year-old Isabeau Levito, too young to skate in Beijing, had a great free skating session on Friday night. Levito joined Bell and Chen on the national podium, keeping the likes of Lindsay Thorngren and Gracie Gold out of third place.

“I’m excited to hear them talk about the Olympics,” said Levito, whose goal is the 2026 Olympics in Milan. “I am very excited for them. Talk about the Olympics in general, and they’re so close – it’s a very interesting event. ”