US Olympic Figure Skater Alysa Liu Captures Gold After Leaving Sport

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by Sam LanierFebruary 21, 2026, 1:53 am >

U.S. Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu has climbed the mountain top and won the gold medal after taking a break from the sport.

Liu, 20, became the first American woman to win gold in figure skating in 24 years. Liu did so in dramatic comeback fashion, completing seven clean triples, which vaulted her into first place, passing two Japanese rivals.

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The West Oakland native was a child prodigy, which ultimately led her to lose her love for figure skating. Liu came onto the scene in the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, finishing in sixth place. This led to her taking a step back from the sport, citing mental fatigue as a major factor.

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“I really hated skating when I quit. Like, I really didn’t like it,” Liu said before the Olympics. “I didn’t care about competitions. I didn’t care about places. I didn’t care about skaters. I didn’t care about my programs. I just wanted to, like, get away. I wanted nothing to do with that. I hated fame. I hated social media. I didn’t like interviews. Like, I hated all of it.”

Liu felt boxed into the sport ever since winning the U.S. nationals at age 13.

Over time, she rediscovered her love for skating but saw it from a different perspective. Rather than looking at it as competition, she saw it as self-expression.

“Protecting my identity is my main goal,” she said on Thursday. “I know exactly what it’s like to not have that. My experience with it before has taught me how I should guard myself. I don’t go online that much. I hang out with my friends and family as much as possible. Being grounded is really what keeps me. I love exploring other hobbies, doing side-quests and whatnot. It keeps me curious, and I’m protecting that.”