As the superstar Team USA figure skating trio of Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu, and Isabeau Levito prepared to compete, they got some words of encouragement from perhaps the biggest American superstar on the planet: Taylor Swift.
In a video shared on social media this week, Taylor Swift introduced the trio of American figure skaters, who have affectionately become known as the Blade Angels, while her song “Opalite” played in the background.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Amber, Alysa and Isabeau,” the pop sensation said to start the video, before referring to them as “three American showgirls on ice,” a nod to her latest hit album, The Life of a Showgirl. She added that their stories will “capture your heart.”
“Amber will be the first to tell you about how many battles she’s fought, and how the ones she’s lost have meant as much as the wins,” Swift said of 26-year-old Glenn. “Her superpower now is embracing the fight and daring the world to test her self-belief.”
“As for Alysa, she walked away from skating when she was 16, then came back on her own terms. Joy fuels her now. Every jump, a celebration. Every performance, a testament to the beauty to know yourself,” Swift explained of Liu, 20, who previously announced her retirement from the sport after the 2022 Beijing Games.
“And then Isabeau. I mean, she’s destiny personified,” Swift said of the 18-year-old. “Her mom grew up in Milan, and her nonna, her grandma, lives exactly 13 minutes from the Olympic rink. When you can skate like you’re meant to be out there, history has a fun way of showing up.”
“They’re teammates and friends. They call themselves the Blade Angels, and tomorrow night, they’re taking center stage when the show starts in Milan,” the video concludes.
The Blade Angels competed in the Women’s Short Program on Tuesday, Feb. 17. They will now compete in the Free Skate event on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. ET with Liu in real contention to earn a medal.
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