2-Time US Champ, Olympic Hopeful Alysa Liu Out With COVID-19

Alysa Liu skates in the Ladies Short Program during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., on Jan. 6, 2022. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Two-time champion Alysa Liu withdrew from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships after testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday, less than a day after a third-place finish in the short program put her in position to make the Olympic team.

The 16-year-old Liu is at least the fifth competitor to test positive for the virus in the run-up and during nationals, and the third that was expected to make the team for the Beijing Games. The pairs tandem of Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier dropped out the day before the start of competition when he returned a positive test.