Chock, Bates and Alisa Liu set the tone for the Olympics at Skate America 2025
USA TODAY Sports Jordan Mendoza breaks down all the takeaways from Skate America 2025 and what to watch for as the Milan-Cortina competition approaches.
take sports seriously
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Alisa Liu couldn’t believe it.
As her free skate ended and the crowd rose to its feet, the 20-year-old figure skater placed her hand on her head. He needed a big day on Sunday, November 16th to win first place at Skate America in 2025, but he felt he didn’t perform as well as he could have.
“In my opinion, my skating wasn’t that good,” Liu said. “So I thought, ‘Oh, that’s a stupid mistake.'”
Even though she felt her program worked, the day ended with her neck hardware matching the color of her dress.
Liu delivered a powerful free skate to win Skate America for the first time in her career, continuing her impressive run toward a return to the Winter Olympics.
Liu performed a moving short program on Saturday, November 16, and was brought to tears as the audience serenaded her with a standing ovation. She said she considered herself “lucky to be able to cry about anything.”
Although the performance was good, Liu knew there were some mistakes that could take some points off the scoresheet. She finished in second place, less than one point behind Japan’s Rinka Watanabe.
As the penultimate skater at the famed Herb Brooks Arena, Liu nailed his “MacArthur Park Sweet” program, nailing the moves perfectly even though he didn’t feel like he did his best. She scored 140.54 points, a season’s best for the one-time Olympian, and a chance to reach the top of the podium.
“My body moves to the music,” Liu said of the free skate, which he brought home after using it last season. “That’s when I thought, oh no, I’m going to go back to this show. I love this show. It’s a great show.”
The final skier was Watanabe, who stumbled in the early stages but was still able to perform his triple axel. At first, it seemed like he hit a good shot, but with a score of 136.61 points, he was more than three points behind Liu in total.
This year has been a very good year for Liu. She won the world championships in March and took second place at the Cup of China less than a month later. Her win at Skate America gives her the first Grand Prix win of her career and will earn her a spot in the Grand Prix Final in December.
This strong year gives Liu hope that he can become a star for the United States if he qualifies for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. The United States hasn’t won a medal in this event since Sasha Cohen in 2006, making this the longest drought without a medal for an American.
Liu, who continues to march triumphantly towards a promising performance that could earn her a second Olympic appearance after her strong performance in Lake Placid, New York, hinted at using Lady Gaga’s medley in the future and vows to be better than Skate America.
“One of the good things about making so many mistakes in a program is that it motivates you not to make more mistakes in the next program,” she said. “I’m excited to show you more.”
Madison Chock and Evan Bates go on a journey through history
Although it was essentially decided by Sunday, the American duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates achieved an overwhelming first-place finish in ice dancing, cementing yet another honor and cementing a big day for Americans.
The pair, currently in their second season as a married duo, burst out of the gate with Rhythm Dance on Saturday, performing a rockin’ Lenny Kravitz medley and teeing it off. They scored 84.77 points, more than 7 points higher than second place, and were able to enter the free dance with plenty of time to spare.
Clean skating was more than enough to secure another first-place finish, and Chock and Bates made no mistakes in their free dance with a fierce paso doble that reminded everyone why they are in the ice dance class. Chock took on the spirit of a matador, using her skirt as a cloak, and Bates matched that energy.
His score was 127.81, the best score of the tournament for the second consecutive day. In the final standings, Chock and Bates scored 212.58 points, more than 15 points ahead of second place Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Raga of Canada.
With this win, Chock and Bates won their fifth Skate America championship, tying the ice dance record for the event set by Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto. It’s also their third Skate America championship in the past four years.
It’s been a triumphant year for the duo, who just won the Cup of China three weeks ago. The first win of the 2025-26 season came after winning the world championship for the third consecutive year. They will now head to the Grand Prix Final, where they will aim for a third straight victory.
The Skate America champions are well-positioned for a return to the Olympics, where they have won the past four years, and could make it official at the U.S. Championships in January.
This will be her fourth appearance at the 2026 Winter Games, and she is aiming to win her first career ice dance medal.
The USA TODAY app puts you right at the heart of the news. Download award-winning articles, crosswords, audio storytelling, e-newspapers, and more.
