Boston (AFP) - Alysa Liu won the women’s figure skating world title on Friday, delivering a dazzling free skate to edge three-time defending champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan.

Liu, who walked away from the sport in 2022 at the age of 16 and returned just a year ago, defied the pressure Sakamoto piled on with a brilliant free skate of her own and became the first US woman to win the world title since Kimmie Meissner in 2006.

“This is an insane story,” Liu, still just 19, told broadcaster NBC. “I don’t know how I came back to be world champion. I never would have thought.”

Skating last as the leader after the short program, Liu had seen Sakamoto surge from fifth to first with a captivating, technically strong performance.

But the American responded, bringing the sellout crowd at TD Garden to their feet with a thrilling routine to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park”.

From her opening jump, the gold-clad Liu went from strength to strength, scoring 148.39 for the free skate for a total of 222.97 points.

She said it was the best routine of her return, and she beamed in delight, and possibly disbelief, as she left the ice to roars from the crowd.

“It means so much to me,” she said.

“Kind of everything that I’ve been through – my last skating experience, my time away and this time around. I’m so happy. I’m mostly glad I could put out two of my best performances.”

Sakamoto’s bid to become the first woman in 65 years to win four consecutive world crowns had taken a hit when she finished a disappointing fifth in the short program.

But she gave herself a shot with a free skate that garnered 146.95 points and vaulted her to the lead on 217.98 points.

But as Liu waited for her scores to be delivered, an emotional Sakamoto raced over to congratulate the American with a massive hug.

“First of all, you can imagine even before I entered the venue, but I was still able to perform and fight despite all of those feelings,” Sakamoto said.

“Then I had to sit in the leader’s chair and watch the remaining four people skate in front of me. And I was so emotional.

“I was crying, Alyssa won, I cried again. And then I was feeling a bit frustrated that, you know, I wish it was me.

“Then I started crying again. So there’s just a lot of emotions piling up inside of me.”

- ‘Starter season’ -

Liu, who has called her first full season back a “starter season”, has now stamped herself a favorite for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics less than a year away.

“Personally, I can be so much better,” said Liu, who won world bronze in 2022 before stepping away from the sport, saying she wanted to move on with her life.

“That’s why I call this a starter season because this season is me picking up the pieces,” she said.

Sakamoto said the experience would help her as she looked forward to the Olympics.

“I think this is an important experience to feel this crush of defeat, because now that I can be an underdog, a challenger moving forward, aiming for the top.”

Japan’s Mone Chiba, second after the short program, was third with a total of 215.24 points.

Earlier Friday, Madison Chock and Evan Bates made a strong start to their bid to become the first duo in 28 years to win a third straight ice dance world title.

The US duo scored a massive 90.18 points in the rhythm dance, taking a 3.74-point lead over Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (86.44).

Gilles and Poirier, who beat Chock and Bates at the Four Continents Championships in February, are trying to claim a first world gold, having won silver on home ice in Montreal last year and bronze in 2021 and 2023.

Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson were in third place after scoring 83.86 points in the rhythm dance.