Alysa Liu, who has come out of retirement at just 19 years old, is currently in first place after the women’s short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held on Thursday in Wichita, Kansas.

Previously a bronze medalist at the 2022 World Championships, Liu made a remarkable comeback at the U.S. Championships on Thursday, achieving a score of 76.36.

“I felt like crying even before they announced my name,” Liu expressed during an interview with NBC Sports.

She was emotional once more after her impressive performance which included a triple flip-triple toe loop combination, a double Axel, and a triple Lutz.

“It was truly a perfect moment for me,” Liu added.

Bradie Tennell is vying for her third national title, currently holding second place with a score of 71.23. This 26-year-old from Illinois previously won the U.S. Championships in 2018 and 2021 and has been a runner-up twice.

“Nationals always feels a bit like coming home,” Tennell stated to NBC Sports. “Knowing that there are many supporters in the audience really motivated me during my performance.”

Amber Glenn, the reigning champion and a 25-year-old from Texas, is currently in third place with a score of 70.91.

“Leading up to this event, I felt a bit tired and was dealing with some off-ice issues that were draining, and I didn’t energize myself enough today,” she explained, as reported by NBC Sports.

Sarah Everhardt (70.72) and Sherry Zhang (67.42) complete the top five finishers.

The pairs short program also took place on Thursday, with defending champions Danny O’Shea and Ellie Kam beginning a strong competition, scoring 77.19, far ahead of second-place pair Spencer Howe and Emily Chan (69.10).

O’Shea, 32, who made history as the oldest U.S. pairs champion last year, is aiming to reclaim this title once more.

“They say fine wine gets better with age, right?” O’Shea joked, according to NBC Sports. “I don’t know, maybe I’m more like old cheese. But we are improving. I owe a lot to my partner (Kam).”

Misha Mitrofanov and Alisa Efimova hold third place at 69.03, followed by Daniil Parkman and Katie McBeath (62.92) and Balazs Nagy and Audrey Shin (62.06).

The women’s competition will wrap up with the free skate scheduled for Friday, while the pairs free skate will take place on Saturday.

Ice dancing will commence on Friday, and the men’s competition is set to start on Saturday. The event will continue through Sunday.