13-Year-Old Skater's Unbelievable Routine Made Her The National Champion

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13-Year-Old Skater's Unbelievable Routine Made Her The National Champion

Jamie Edmonds - Twitter / Team USA - YouTube

A pint-sized figure skater made history this weekend, as she took home the gold at the U.S. Nationals in Detroit.

At just 13, Alysa Liu became the youngest skater to ever take the top spot in the women's division, dethroning Tara Lipinski, who won a national championship at 14.

And Liu's impressive routine broke other records as she spun, jumped, and landed in the history books.

The tiny Liu - she's only 4'7" - had to be pulled up onto the podium by her competitors after taking first place with a groundbreaking performance.

She earned high marks from judges for landing two triple axels in one routine. The devilishly hard jumps involve taking off backwards before spinning several times and landing on the opposite foot.

Liu is only the fourth female American skater to ever land the triple axel in competition, joining skating legends like Tonya Harding, Kimmie Meissner, and Mirai Nagasu in the elite club.

But landing two triple axels in one routine is an achievement only Liu can boast - not bad for someone who can barely even be called a teenager!

Watch Liu's stunned reaction to her winning score:

"I was just happy that I beat my personal record, and I did a clean long program," ESPN reported Liu as saying.

Ironically, Liu's young age, which made her win this week so impressive, will keep her out of the next few world championship competitions. (Competitors must be 15 or older.)

Liu was optimistic in an interview with Reuters, saying her wait will only give her "more time to work on my jumps, skating skills, spins, and just trying to learn more."

But by age 16, Liu will be qualified to compete in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, and judging by what she showed the world at nationals her performance there will be one to watch.

[H/T: People]

Congratulations to Alysa Liu on her incredible win!

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