Richmond's Alysa Liu Out of US Figure Skating Championships With COVID-19

Two-time champion Alysa Liu withdrew from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships aft investigating affirmative for COVID-19 connected Friday, little than a time aft a third-place decorativeness successful the abbreviated programme enactment her successful presumption to marque the Olympic team.

The 16-year-old from Richmond is astatine slightest the 4th rival to trial affirmative for the microorganism successful the run-up and during nationals, and the 3rd that was expected to marque the squad for the Beijing Games. The pairs tandem of Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier dropped retired the time earlier the commencement of contention erstwhile helium returned a affirmative test.

Just similar Knierim and Frazier, who program to petition for 1 of the 2 pairs spots connected the Olympic team, Liu has informed U.S. Figure Skating she volition petition for 1 of the 3 women’s spots based connected her assemblage of caller work.

“I’m afloat vaccinated, person been wearing a n95 disguise and got 2 antagonistic trial results earlier leaving to Nashville,” Liu posted connected Instagram. “Things hap unluckily ...

“I’m thankful to america fig skating for taking the other precaution and having the indispensable investigating facilities to assistance support everyone present arsenic harmless arsenic possible. i’m feeling bully physically and mentally and i’m wishing each the girls bully luck for tonight.”

Most stressing to those inactive competing, peculiarly leaders Mariah Bell and Karen Chen, is the information that respective skaters were successful adjacent interaction with Liu connected Thursday night. Bell and Chen — some of whom are vaccinated — adjacent shared a dais with Liu for interviews aft the abbreviated program, though they were separated by respective feet and each wore masks.