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Joosep Martinson - International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images
The Basics: As the country's youngest-ever national champion (at age 13) and the first U.S. woman to land a quad in competition, the 16-year-old Olympics newbie from California has the greatest shot at earning Team USA its first women's singles figure skating gold since 2005.
High Praise: Bronze medalist Adam Rippon told Business Insider the teen has the potential to become the "Simone Biles of figure skating" while two-time Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan raved in her TIME 100 writeup, "I will be living vicariously through her as I watch her life and skating mature. As my sister said, Alysa really is the future of figure skating."
Pre-Game Ritual: "I've been doing it since when I was younger. It's, like, if I don't do it, I'm like, 'Oh no, I'm gonna do bad,'" Liu confessed to Jimmy Fallon. "You jump up three times, land on your right leg...and then do it two more times."