Alysa Liu, the 20-year-old figure-skating prodigy who made waves in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, is now among the top contenders for gold in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games. After her sudden retirement from the sport following her debut Olympic performance, Liu returned to the ice in 2024, ending her brief hiatus, and has since amassed numerous awards and shattered records.
From the beginning of her career, Liu’s unparalleled talent immediately labeled her as a skating phenomenon. In 2018, at the age of 12, she became the youngest skater in history to land a triple Axel in an international competition. The following year, she broke another record by winning the U.S. women’s figure skating championship, making history as the youngest champion to claim this prestigious title. She went on to defend her title in 2020 at age 14, once again shattering records as the youngest skater to claim consecutive national championships.
However, after the Beijing Olympics in 2022, where she finished 6th overall, earning her a bronze medal, she announced her retirement from figure skating via social media. During her hiatus from the sport, she enrolled at UCLA, took time to travel, trekked to Mount Everest Base Camp, and obtained her driver’s license —all without any intention of returning to skating. But a ski trip in 2024 reminded her of her love for the sport, and she returned to the rink. Reflecting on this key turning point, Liu said, “Quitting was definitely, still to this day, one of my best decisions ever. And coming back was also a really good decision.”
Since her return to the sport, Liu has taken creative control over things like costume and music, as well as scheduling and overseeing her training regimen. In an interview with 60 minutes Liu stated, “I get to pick my own program music, I get to help with the creative process of the program. If I feel like I’m skating too much, I’ll back down. If I feel like I’m not skating enough, I’ll ramp it up.” This newfound sense of independence in her career has revived Liu’s confidence and allowed her to reshape her career in a way that protects her mental health and passion for the sport.
With this revitalized perspective on the sport, Liu competed in Boston at the World Championships in March 2025, where she became the first American woman to win in nearly two decades, and on December 6th, she then went on to take gold at the Grand Prix final in Japan on December 6th. This victory marked her second international medal in 2025, setting the stage for her highly anticipated return to the Olympics.
Liu is now set to represent Team USA alongside teammates Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito in single figure skating. When asked about a personal goal she wished to accomplish at the games, Liu said, “My goal honestly is just to hype people up, give them an experience, whether it’s negative or positive,” Liu said. “As long as people are feelin’ some strong emotions and anticipation, I’m fine with that.” Despite the many outside pressures, Liu remains steady in her commitment to remain authentic and preserve her love for the sport.
