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Her eyes widened and she looked around the Bell Center in shock. She opened her mouth and smiled. Minutes later, her silver medal was confirmed, making her the first American woman to win a medal at the world championships since 2016, when Ashley Wagner also won silver.
Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto continued her dominant performance over the past three years, easily winning her third consecutive World Championship title with a near-perfect free skate. She becomes the first woman to win three consecutive titles since American Peggy Fleming nearly 60 years ago (1966-1968).
She was the best female skater throughout the season, winning all eight competitions.
But in many ways, Levit, a 17-year-old from Mount Holly, New Jersey, was a much bigger story. Just an hour from the U.S. border and in front of a crowd waving American flags, she finally reached her potential that many believed she had. She landed all of her jumps, including seven triple jumps. She wasn’t perfect at everything, but she did enough to maintain an eight-point lead over South Korea’s Chaeyoung Kim.
“After the six-minute warm-up, I was a little bit worried,” Levit said. “I didn’t think I did anything good in the game and I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to do what I needed to do today. So, yeah, I felt a little bit in disbelief after that. I was very happy.”
Her win came nearly two months after her epic fall at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Columbus, Ohio. There, she only needed to finish a solid free skate. Instead, she stumbled several times and finished third behind eventual champion Amber Glenn.
The silver medal Levitt won Friday night was far more satisfying than the one she won at the U.S. Nationals, where she celebrated in an empty arena by grabbing an American flag from a fan, waving it high, and then putting it over her head. She remained on the ice for about 10 minutes after the medal ceremony, holding her flag and soaking in her medal.
Her silver medal automatically secures the Americans a third spot at the World Championships in Boston next year, but this year the U.S. will be competing for three spots at the 2026 Winter Olympics. It’s an important year, requiring three skaters.
“For me, it’s just building up, achieving more and getting more experience and getting smarter and being the best version of myself for the Olympics.” said Levit.
Glenn got off to a strong start on Friday, landing a triple axel, but stumbled in the second half of his free skate and finished 10th.
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