Alysa Liu plans to bring back triple Axel for Olympic season
In an interview with retired NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, Liu was asked, "What's the next technical statement that you're going to make?"
Advertisement
"Yeah, I'm pretty risky on the ice," she said. "This (past) season, not as much, just because I was focusing on my stamina. But now that it's back, I'm going to be trying my triple Axels a lot more and incorporating those into my programs next season."
This past season, the 2022 Olympian Liu returned from a two-year retirement.
She worked her way up, entered the World Championships ranked eighth in the field by best total score on the season and then became the first U.S. women's singles skater to win a world title in 19 years.
'Personally, I can be so much better,' Liu said at worlds, reflecting on the season. 'That's why I call this a starter season because this season is me picking up the pieces."
Advertisement
Liu is the youngest woman to land a triple Axel — at age 12 in 2018. She also landed a quadruple jump at age 14 — the first American woman to do so.
She attempted neither a triple Axel nor a quad in the 2024-25 season. She last attempted a triple Axel in competition at the 2022 World Championships and last landed a positively graded (clean) triple Axel at the 2020 World Junior Championships, according to Skatingscores.com.
But Liu did train the triple Axel in practices in the Bay Area last season.
The triple Axel carries 4.7 more base points than the double Axel, which can be a significant difference. Liu won the world title by 4.99 points over three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan.
Advertisement
U.S. champion Amber Glenn was the lone woman to attempt a triple Axel at the 2025 World Championships, though a few others performed the jump at other senior competitions in 2024-25.
Such as Adeliya Petrosian, an 18-year-old from Russia who is shaping up to be a 2026 Olympic medal contender. She was the only senior women's singles skater in the world to land both a clean quadruple jump and a clean triple Axel in competition this past season, according to Skatingscores.com.
Petrosian competed strictly in domestic events in Russia since all Russian skaters have been banned from international competition since shortly after the invasion of Ukraine.
Petrosian has been cleared by the International Skating Union to compete as an individual neutral athlete at an Olympic qualifier in September in China, where she could earn a spot for herself at the Milan Cortina Games.
Advertisement
A skater from Russia won the last three Olympic women's singles titles. The U.S. last earned an Olympic women's singles medal in 2006 — Sasha Cohen's silver.
Figure skating Grand Prix assignments: Alysa Liu, Chock/Bates headline Skate America
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating starts in October.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
45 thoughts on the Minnesota Vikings' offensive players ahead of training camp
The countdown to training camp is on for the Minnesota Vikings. Before the action begins, we thought it'd be worthwhile to take stock of the team. To do that, we've compiled one thought on every member of the roster. We'll begin this week with the offense and come back next week with the defense. Note: These thoughts are ordered by player number. Advertisement Jailen Nailor, WR: Facing a contract year, Nailor showed up to organized team activities in the best shape of his life. Clichéd? Of course. True in this case? Absolutely. He will be the team's No. 3 receiver. Jordan Addison, WR: An early-season suspension would hurt. As long as he stays out of trouble this offseason, though, the arrow will be pointing up. Addison creates separation like few receivers in this league. His frame masks his toughness. An exceptional talent. Rondale Moore, WR: If you've never seen him play, go watch some highlights. Get him the ball in space, and the combination of vision and agility is impressive. How will he bounce back from his torn ACL last summer? How quickly can he pick up the offense? Answer these questions positively, and the Vikings will possess an extra weapon. Sam Howell, QB: First, a quick question: How in the world did the 2023 Washington Commanders think it'd be beneficial to have Howell throw 612 passes? Howell led the NFL in attempts that season, which is wild. Anyway, he can make countless throws. Decision-making remains the question. J.J. McCarthy, QB: The Vikings tossed him the keys to the Ferrari. The directive is simple: Take what's there; no need to be a hero. Expecting McCarthy to be perfect would be foolish. Thinking he'll thrive on intermediate routes and anticipatory throws is fair. Most everyone who has spent meaningful time around him raves about him. How he looks will be one of the biggest stories of the NFL season. Brett Rypien, QB: Few inside the building know the Vikings' offensive system as well as Rypien. He's a trusted vet. He orchestrates the scout team for the defense. He's sharp in the quarterback room, one of the valued voices behind the scenes. Max Brosmer, QB: Intriguing is the best way to describe his spring. Multiple staffers raved about his ability to pick up small intricacies. His professional approach and ability to process should keep him in the league for a while. Advertisement Tai Felton, WR: It might take some time. Felton may play offensive snaps if Addison is suspended, but expect his rookie campaign to be spent mostly on special teams. Felton must limit his drop rate and improve as a route runner. Tim Jones, WR: Minnesota targeted him for his special teams prowess after losing Trent Sherfield Sr. to the Denver Broncos. Jones has size and speed. He's one of those guys who will probably flash in training camp a few times. Justin Jefferson, WR: Where to start? Shall we laugh about the teleprompter going out on him at the NFL Honors ceremony? Shall we shake our heads at his Met Gala ensemble? Or shall we talk about the fact that he caught 495 passes and totaled 7,432 yards before turning 26 years old? Take your pick. things @jjettas2 did before turning 26 🎂 👑 Most 100+ yard receiving games before age 26 (34 games)👑 Most receiving yards ever by a player before turning 26👑 Only player in NFL history with 7,000+ yards in first 5 seasons — NFL (@NFL) June 16, 2025 Dontae Fleming, WR: Tough act to follow here, but like Jefferson, Fleming is a Louisiana native. He attended Tulane. The Vikings signed him as an undrafted free agent. Training camp will be his opportunity to shine. Jordan Mason, RB: For my money, this is the most underrated Vikings move of the offseason. He benefited from the San Francisco 49ers' run-game infrastructure, but there is something about his vision that seems different. Plus, he's massive. C.J. Ham, FB: It didn't stand out during the season, but the Vikings more than doubled their 21 personnel usage from 2023 to '24. Will the uptick continue with a renewed focus on the run game? Or, will the Vikings lean more into 12 personnel? This is some of the training camp minutiae that'll be fun to follow. Advertisement Myles Price, WR: Don't be surprised if you see him returning kicks and punts during camp or even in preseason games. Price held these roles at Texas Tech and Indiana. Ty Chandler, RB: Few need an inspiring training camp showing more than Chandler. He's shown flashes, but this is the final season of his rookie contract. If he disappoints, Minnesota could move on. Aaron Jones, RB: I'm not sure if Jones gets enough credit for what he accomplished last season. He ran for 1,138 yards behind a subpar interior offensive line. He also caught 51 passes. Mason's addition warrants attention, but sleeping on or wanting to move past Jones is probably unwise. Zavier Scott, RB: He attended high school in Germany. He played in college at Maine. He will compete with Chandler and Tre Stewart for the final roster spots. Tre Stewart, RB: Not many players have gone from Limestone University to the NFL. That's where Stewart began before starring at Jacksonville State last season. He went undrafted but has some juice. Bryson Nesbit, TE: His father, Jamar, became a legend at South Carolina and played 11 seasons in the pros. The younger Nesbit attended North Carolina, went undrafted and will participate in one of the most intriguing competitions of the summer as Minnesota needs a new No. 3 tight end. Ben Yurosek, TE: Vying for a spot with Nesbit will be Yurosek, who had many suitors in undrafted free agency. He started his college career at Stanford, then transferred to Georgia, where his production hovered a tad lower than some expected. Giovanni Ricci, TE: We'll begin with the name. It's elite. It sounds like an appetizer on the Bar La Grassa menu. Ricci has been in the NFL since 2020 and has familiarity with tight ends coach Brian Angelichio. Joe Huber, OL: He's likely a practice-squad candidate, but one to watch. Huber had an exceptional college career at Cincinnati and Wisconsin. Advertisement Logan Brown, T: If we were to rank the undrafted players worth keeping an eye on in training camp, Brown would hover near the top. He was a huge recruit who found his footing last year at Kansas. Right tackle will likely be his primary position. Remember the name. Zeke Correll, OL: He used to eat three or four $1 burgers from Wendy's after school. What more needs to be said? Blake Brandel, G: Don't underestimate the value of an experienced and versatile player like Brandel. Is he perfect? No. But winning teams need players like him. Michael Jurgens, G: Backup center is a sneakily important role. If Ryan Kelly were to go down, would the Vikings turn to Brandel or Jurgens? This is a critical training camp for him. Vershon Lee, G: He tried out in front of Vikings executives and coaches in early June. Minnesota's staff liked the college experience and movement skills enough to give him a training camp opportunity. Justin Skule, T: Another underrated offseason signing. Skule filled in admirably for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season. It wouldn't be the worst idea for the Vikings to pick his brain on Tampa's run game, either. Henry Byrd, G: Byrd went to Princeton. He can tap dance, too. The Vikings love having him in the offensive line room. Christian Darrisaw, T: Will he be back in time for Week 1? That's probably a rosy expectation at this point. Still, Darrisaw has attacked his rehab. The Vikings have commended his progress. Leroy Watson IV, T: Watson is with his fifth team in three NFL seasons. The practice squad is his most likely destination. Walter Rouse, T: Rouse is in the same boat as Jurgens. His performance in training camp will go a long way toward establishing his arc. Donovan Jackson, G: Jackson's introduction has been quiet because there were so few meaningful trench reps this spring. He means business, though. Joint practices will provide a great glimpse at what he's capable of. Brian O'Neill, T: O'Neill is one of the core leaders of the team, a key voice for coach Kevin O'Connell. He always offers the offense a stabilizing force on the right side, which helps the staff to game plan. Adding Will Fries next to him should only help further. Will Fries, G: Fries didn't participate in workouts this spring. His fractured right leg has taken time to heal, but O'Connell said earlier this offseason that the team expects him to be back for training camp. The mere sight of him next to O'Neill and Ryan Kelly will cement the interior overhaul. Advertisement Ryan Kelly, C: His role as a sounding board for McCarthy shouldn't fly under the radar. Kelly comes with an abundance of credibility. His signing speaks to O'Connell's intentionality regarding quarterback development. Marcellus Johnson, T: He finished college at Missouri, so he has that going for him. Like Watson and Byrd, he's likely another practice-squad option. Lucky Jackson, WR: In the last few training camps, Trishton Jackson (no relation) shined as a backup receiver. Jackson will probably perform similarly this summer. Jeshaun Jones, WR: He's always making plays in spring practices. Is his frame too slight? Maybe. But it's always felt like there's something here. Silas Bolden, WR: The Vikings aggressively targeted him after the draft. He has the potential to be the team's most dynamic returner in years. Josh Oliver, TE: Why not lean further into 12 personnel in an attempt to be more of a smashmouth team? It's easy to dream on a six-man front with Oliver, Darrisaw, Jackson, Kelly, Fries and O'Neill displacing defenders with ease from the line of scrimmage. Robert Lewis, WR: His brother, Akeem Hunt, played in the NFL. Lewis faces a tall order to make the 53-man. Gavin Bartholomew, TE: He even looks like Johnny Mundt with his long, flowing hair. The Vikings drafted him in the seventh round with a distinct vision, but he'll have to beat out Yurosek and Nesbit for a roster spot. T.J. Hockenson, TE: Two seasons ago, Hockenson caught 95 passes for 960 yards and five touchdowns. It'd be lofty to expect a return to that production, but he'll have a bounce-back year as a safety valve for McCarthy. Thayer Thomas, WR: The former college walk-on earned the respect of coaches a couple of seasons ago. But is there a meaningful role available for him? (Top photo of Justin Jefferson: Matt Krohn / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Aaron Rodgers' New Photos With Steelers Draw Attention
Aaron Rodgers' New Photos With Steelers Draw Attention originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After a rollercoaster couple of seasons with the Jets, Aaron Rodgers — on the hunt for yet another new home — found himself in a spot few expected. It's not every day you see a future Hall of Famer packing his bags for the third time, but that's exactly where Rodgers landed after things ended so suddenly in New York. Advertisement Fortunately for him, it didn't take long to find a fresh start. Now, he's headed to Pittsburgh, stepping into a quarterback room that has recently been vacated by star QB, Russell Wilson. While waiting for the formal kick-off to the 2025 NFL season, the official league account posted on X a few images of Rodgers in his new team kit. Needless to say, as fans always do, the reactions came pouring in with a few interesting takes on the photos recently posted. A fan said, "(Expletive) look like somebody working in the office on jersey day." Another netizen added, "Every divorced dad on Facebook." Advertisement "His left eye is already looking for the blitz," commented a fan poking fun at the 41-year-old. Another fan commented, "Ravens fans are literally shaking at this." "Steelers could have had one more superbowl if he didnt exist," commented a social media user not being subtle at all about their disdain for Rodgers. Finally, another fan added, "Easily the best to ever do it." Aaron Rodgers has officially passed his physical and put pen to paper on a new deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers: a one-year contract worth $13.6 million, with $10 million guaranteed and the chance to bump it up to $19.5 million if things go well. Former Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) finds a new home in Pittsburgh.© Dan Powers / USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The four-time MVP, who's racked up nearly 63,000 passing yards and over 500 touchdowns in his career, now heads into minicamp ready to settle into life with his third NFL team. Advertisement Related: Aaron Rodgers Chastises 'Leaky' Jets This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
How Raiders coach Pete Carroll, the NFL's Benjamin Button, is aging so gracefully
Pete Carroll often pulls ideas from those around him. During the 2023 season, the veteran Seattle Seahawks head coach was in a brainstorming session with defensive backs coach Karl Scott. They began discussing a defensive coverage one night, and their conversation spilled over to the next day. The two met in Carroll's office before an early morning staff meeting. It was an intense back-and-forth that might have looked confrontational from the outside, but they were really just talking ball. Then, suddenly, as Scott laid out his perspective, Carroll broke the tension with a seemingly unprompted smirk. Advertisement Caught off guard, Scott pivoted from making his case to asking if he'd said something wrong to his boss. 'Nah, man. You're making that face, man,' Carroll said. 'That face I've just seen you make is the same face Kina makes.' Kina is Scott's daughter, who was 5 at the time. To Scott, her mannerisms coming up during a game-planning debate symbolized Carroll's ability to balance his relentless competitiveness with his similarly persistent humanity. 'You're so used to locking in in the world of football and the world of sports,' Scott said recently, 'but in those two seconds, he was able to … be a regular person and have true emotion. That threw me off because it was so unique. … Even in the midst of all this (stress), he's Pete Carroll. He's himself.' That consistency was one of the driving factors behind the Las Vegas Raiders' decision to hire Carroll this offseason and make him the oldest head coach in NFL history. His mind and body have undoubtedly changed as he approaches age 74, but his core approach remains the same. Carroll won a national championship at USC and a Super Bowl with the Seahawks on the back of his famed 'always compete' mantra. That mentality comes with high standards for his assistants and players, but his style is far from militaristic. Sometimes, there are impromptu H-O-R-S-E competitions on mini hoops in meeting rooms. Other times, he's showing defensive backs how to backpedal during individual drills. He might even randomly drop 'The People's Elbow' on an unsuspecting player during warmups. All of that is mixed into a singular focus on winning. 'It's truly a competition for everything we do, but we're having fun with it,' Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby said this spring. 'He just wants to see guys be the best versions of themselves. And he's true to that. It's not fake energy. It's every day. He's the same guy.' Carroll has mastered the ability to connect with people. Whether it's a peer or someone decades his junior doesn't matter. Advertisement 'Whether you're 21 or 71, there is one language that real ones speak — and that's competitiveness,' Washington Commanders coach and former Carroll assistant Dan Quinn said. 'There's the languages of love; there must be another one — and that one is competing.' Ben Malcolmson played for Carroll at USC and later served as his assistant for over a decade with the Seahawks. He's seen Carroll build and reaffirm team culture repeatedly. Age hasn't changed his approach. Early in his Seahawks tenure, Carroll buzzed around the building with the same energy level as a kid at recess. Malcolmson figured it was due to all the Mountain Dew he drank. Years later, Carroll switched his diet, cutting down on unhealthy foods, caffeine and sugar. 'I think he had more energy after that,' Malcolmson said recently. It wasn't the Mountain Dew. 'He doesn't believe he's got to get old,' Malcolmson said. 'He's like Benjamin Button.' With his resume, Carroll has likely already punched his ticket to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. No one would've blinked had he retired after parting ways with the Seahawks in 2023, but he knew he wasn't done yet. He had more to give, and the Raiders are giving him the opportunity to do just that. 'It's about competing and proving that you have value, you have worth,' Carroll said at his introductory news conference in January. 'I don't care how old you are. For anybody out there that's old and wants to know how you do it, you freaking battle every day, and you compete and you find your way to get better.' Neiko Thorpe will never forget his introduction to Carroll and the Seahawks in September 2016. It began with a workout at the team facility, then a phone call from Carroll informing him he made the team — and that the Seahawks had arranged for a first-class flight back to Oakland, where Maegan, Thorpe's wife, had just given birth to their daughter, Nora. Thorpe, who had recently been cut by the Raiders and Indianapolis Colts, surprised Maegan in the hospital — flowers in hand — and met Nora, then returned to Seattle to begin his career as a Seahawk. Advertisement Thorpe knew the organization cared about him. He returned the favor by giving his all on the field for five seasons, leading the team in special teams tackles twice and becoming a three-time special teams captain. '(It's) not just fourth-and-inches when they say this game is the little things,' said Thorpe, who joined Carroll's coaching staff in 2022 and was retained by current coach Mike Macdonald. 'It's the little things like that.' Carroll's relationship-based approach takes many forms. He's demanding and sets a high standard, but his primary means of motivation is built around positive affirmations, not preying on fear of failure. He's known for playing young players early — something many coaches are hesitant to do — empowering them to play fast and freely instead of coaching them to avoid mistakes. And it works: The 2013 Seahawks had the youngest 53-man roster ever to win a Super Bowl. The approach is a big reason so many played the best ball of their careers in Seattle, and several assistants found success elsewhere. 'He makes people better,' Quinn said. 'And I don't care if that's at (age) 32, 42, 52, 72. That's a trait — and not everybody has it.' To do so, Carroll must know them as people, not just football commodities. Learning their stories, no matter how bumpy the road, is a key part of the process. In Seattle, he was drawn to players with chips on their shoulders. This partly explains Carroll's success with late-round draft picks like Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman; undrafted players like Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse; others in search of a second act like Marshawn Lynch, Brandon Browner, Quandre Diggs and Geno Smith; and some with a history of off-field issues like Bruce Irvin. Carroll saw what they had been through, where they'd been and how it informed who they could become. 'Coach Carroll is extremely relatable,' said Smith, one of Carroll's all-time favorite players, who joined him with the Raiders this offseason. 'He understands that guys have got to be themselves in order to be their best selves.' "He helped me change the way I spoke to myself." Geno Smith's relationship with Pete Carroll is special.@Raiders (via @NFLFilms) — NFL (@NFL) March 8, 2025 You can be a soft-spoken special-teamer, a loud-mouthed defensive back, a rah-rah speech giver or a lead-by-example type. Just be you, Carroll insists, and that's more than enough. 'It's more than just doing work and getting practice done, getting games, getting wins,' Malcolmson said. 'It's like, 'No, this is a relationship,' and that is on display with how he can connect with people.' Advertisement Carroll's 50-plus years of coaching have shown him that, independent of age or background, players and coaches want the same thing: genuine, caring leadership. He has a reputation for delivering, through good times and bad. He has won and lost championships at the college and pro levels and navigated all that comes with those successes and failures. Carroll has learned to remain unwavering in his messaging and his commitment to the people following his lead. 'The essence of it is figuring out who you are and what you want to stand for, and how you are going to deal with people,' Carroll said. 'And it has to come from your heart. It has to be right, as authentic as it can possibly be.' Carroll was once a failure in this profession. After four years as the New York Jets' defensive coordinator, he was hired as the team's head coach in 1994. He was fired after just one season, a 6-10 campaign. He landed a second chance with the New England Patriots in 1997, and the team made the playoffs in his first two seasons. Following an 8-8 season with no playoff berth, though, Carroll was fired again. He spent the 2000 season out of coaching, but he wasn't idle. 'That was the year that, really, my life in football changed,' Carroll said. 'I really didn't know that I wanted to be a head coach — it just kind of happened, honestly. And I wasn't prepared well enough. I didn't have my philosophy together. … 'It was pretty dang significant. And it was (about) figuring out who I am, figuring out what my uncompromising principles are all about, figuring out how I wanted to treat the people and how I envisioned the organization coming together in all aspects.' After a year getting his act together, Carroll landed the USC job. Although he's hailed now as a program legend, his hire was initially met with apathy. Advertisement 'They were yelling at me for coming in there. They didn't want me,' Carroll said. 'I was getting a terrible response, but I took it on as, 'I couldn't care less,' because I knew where we were going and what we wanted to do. And because I figured out how I wanted to do it.' Carroll's historic nine-year run at USC never would have happened if he hadn't realized he needed to adapt. His son, Brennan Carroll, who's now the Raiders' offensive line coach, was on staff at USC and saw his growth firsthand. 'He's very open-minded. He isn't set in his ways in any aspect except with the fundamentals,' Brennan said recently. 'As times have changed, he's always tried to stay aware.' Pete aimed to stay on top of everything at USC, from offensive and defensive trends to popular music and the advent of social media. 'He loves surrounding himself with people who are on the tip of the spear,' Malcolmson said. 'That speaks to who he is. He's always looking for that next little edge, and he's willing to trust the people that he's put around him to help get a little bit better each time.' Carroll has replicated that process with the Raiders this offseason. 'Music or entertainment or sports or politics — he stays on top of everything,' quarterbacks coach Greg Olson said. 'He's a very well-read man. He can carry a conversation with a 10-year-old or a 95-year-old. He can relate to the rich, poor, White, Black, young or old; he does it all. 'I think you have to be in tune with what's going on in society, really, if you want to have that kind of impact on people. He's incredible at it.' The Raiders have been the epitome of instability. Carroll is their 15th head coach since 2000 (including interim coaches; 16th if you count Jon Gruden's separate stints). Crosby has played for the franchise since 2019 and is already on his fifth head coach. Advertisement It'd be understandable if Crosby were hesitant to buy into another culture change, but that hasn't been the case. 'Pete creates that culture, that energy,' Crosby said. 'Everyone knows it's hard — you're going to work your ass off, you're going to put in all the work — but you've got a whole organization of people that've all got to be on the same wavelength and go in the same direction. … I think Pete does an incredible job with that.' As much work as Carroll does to remain young, Father Time is undefeated. To create a lasting legacy with the Raiders, he will have to work quickly. And if you ask him, there's no doubt that's going to happen. 'We're trying to take this as far as you can possibly take it,' Carroll said. 'I can't think any way else.' (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos: Patrick Smith, Kevork Djansezian, Robin Alam, Ethan Miller, Jane Gershovich, Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
