The 2025 ISU CS Lombardia Trophy is proving to be a thrilling opener to the Olympic season, as American world champions Alysa Liu and Ilia Malinin dominated the short programs. The event, held in the picturesque town of Bergamo, Italy, showcased the power and grace of these elite figure skaters.
Alysa Liu set the stage in the women’s competition with an impressive score of 69.62, securing a narrow lead over her fellow American, Sarah Everhardt, who earned a score of 69.16. Japan’s Sumiyoshi Rion claimed the third spot with a total of 68.87, setting the stage for a competitive free skate.
Skating to the emotive piece ‘This is How it Feels‘ by Laufey and d4vd, Liu showcased her technical prowess with a seamless double Axel and a solid triple flip. However, slight hesitation crept in during her second half when she under-rotated a challenging triple Lutz, triple loop combination. Despite this misstep, her overall performance kept her firmly in contention for the title.
On the men’s side, Ilia Malinin delivered a jaw-dropping performance, confidently executing a quadruple flip and a triple Axel, alongside an impressive quadruple Lutz to a triple toeloop combination. His phenomenal execution earned him a score of 108.87, significantly ahead of Kagiyama Yuma, the Olympic silver medalist from Japan, who posted 95.44. Following close behind, Japan’s Miura Kao grabbed the third spot with 92.76.
As we look ahead, the anticipation builds for the women’s free skate scheduled for Saturday, followed by the men’s fiercely contested event on Sunday. Fans can expect a showcase of talent representing the very best in professional figure skating.
