Two-time national champion Alysa Liu is attempting to earn the United States a third spot in the 2022 Winter Olympics and is heading in the right direction as she leads the final qualifying competition – the 2021 Nebelhorn Trophy – after the short program.
The 16-year-old American began her performance with a successful double axel and then completed a triple flip. Her second jump in the triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination was ruled a quarter-under-rotated but it was enough to earn her both the highest element and program component scores. Liu received a total performance score of 70.86 points.
Already an Olympian in 2018, Switzerland’s Alexia Paganini completed all of her jumps – a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, a triple loop, and a double axel – and received positive grades of execution for every technical element. The 19-year-old figure skater earned a total short program score of 65.65 points.
Belarussian figure skater Viktoria Safonova began her short program with a double and then landed a triple flip. Instead of a triple-triple combination, the 18-year-old completed a triple Lutz-double toe loop but it was enough for third place with a score of 62.02 points.
Results after short program
- Alysa LIU (USA) – 70.86
- Alexia PAGANINI (SUI) – 65.65
- Viktoriia SAFONOVA (BLR) – 62.02
- Kailani CRAINE (AUS) – 61.62
- Anastasiia SHABOTOVA (UKR) – 61.49
- Ekaterina KURAKOVA (POL) – 61.04
- Lara Naki GUTMANN (ITA) – 57.16
- Anete LACE (LAT) – 54.96
- Josefin TALJEGARD (SWE) – 54.96 – not competing for Olympic qualification
- Taylor MORRIS (ISR) – 53.36
- Emilea ZINGAS (CYP) – 52.90
- Oona OUNASVUORI (FIN) – 51.94 – not competing for Olympic qualification
- Tzu-Han TING (TPE) – 51.33
- Lea SERNA (FRA) – 50.93
- Dasa GRM (SLO) – 50.19
- Nicole RAJICOVA (SVK) – 50.00
- Jocelyn HONG (NZL) – 49.13
- Sophia SCHALLER (AUT) – 48.92
- Joanna SO (HKG) – 48.79
- Julia SAUTER (ROU) – 48.79
- Eugenia GARZA (MEX) – 47.84
- Sofia Lexi Jacqueline FRANK (PHI) – 47.65
- Maia SORENSEN (DEN) – 46.69
- Julia LANG (HUN) – 45.22
- Nathalie WEINZIERL (GER) – 44.62 – not competing for Olympic qualification
- Antonina DUBININA (SRB) – 44.09
- Aleksandra GOLOVKINA (LTU) – 43.95
- Gerli LIINAMAE (EST) – 43.44 – not competing for Olympic qualification
- Yae-Mia NEIRA (CHI) – 41.86
- Sinem PEKDER (TUR) – 40.01
- Aldis Kara BERGSDOTTIR (ISL) – 39.92
- Isadora WILLIAMS (BRA) – 38.52
- Bagdana RAKHISHOVA (KAZ) – 38.22
- Tara PRASAD (IND) – 37.51
- Thita LAMSAM (THA) – 33.33
- Dimitra KORRI (GRE) – 32.89
- Romana KAISER (LIE) – 31.38
The Skating Times 