East Bay figure skater Alysa Liu’s Olympic hopes in jeopardy following positive COVID-19 test

Alysa Liu, the figure skating phenom from Richmond who missed the 2018 Pyeongchang Games because she was too young, may have her Olympic dreams dashed again, this time because of a positive COVID-19 test.

The 16-year-old Liu has withdrawn from the U.S. Championships in Nashville following a positive Covid-19 test, the federation announced Friday.

Liu is a two-time U.S. figure skating champion and was in third place after the short program on Thursday night. Now her spot on the U.S. team for next month’s Games in China could suddenly be in jeopardy.

Liu was scheduled to compete in the women’s free skate on Friday, which would have gone a long way in clinching a spot on the Olympic team that she’s seemed destined for since Liu burst onto the skating scene by capturing her first national title at the age of 13, breaking Tara Lipinski’s record as the youngest winner.

Now, all Liu can do is wait until the team is announced Sunday.

U.S. Figure Skating officials will pick the team — there are three spots for individual female skaters — based on their performances over the last two years. A top-three performance this week at Nationals would not have automatically secured a spot for Liu, but it probably would have come awfully close. Liu is considered by many the best chance the U.S. has to challenge the strong Russian team for medal in China.

The web site olympics.com reported that Liu will petition to be put on the U.S. team.

“I’m fully vaccinated, have been wearing an N-95 mask and got two negative results before leaving to Nashville,” Liu wrote on her Instagram. “Things happen unfortunately, but it is what it is. … I’m feeling good physically and mentally and I’m wishing the girls good luck for tonight!”

Despite having to bow out in Nashville, the 2019 and 2020 U.S. champ has a resume that will be difficult to overlook. She placed in the top five at both of her Grand Prix assignments this season, won two ISU Challenger Series events, including at Nebelhorn Trophy where she secured the U.S. its third and final spot for the Beijing Games. Liu finished fourth at the U.S. Championships last year.

Liu told reporters earlier this week she was skating pressure-free in Nashville.

“I think I’ve basically blocked out, like, everybody’s expectations of me,” Liu told reporters this week. “I don’t know how I did it. But last year I really changed my point of view. And I don’t really feel that much pressure. I’m not really nervous, either.

“Actually,” she said, “this feels better than all the other nationals I went to.”