Alysa Liu's golden Olympic comeback

The 20-year-old figure skater delivered a near-flawless performance to earn the U.S. its first women's figure skating gold medal in 24 years.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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Alysa Liu, a 20-year-old figure skater, delivered a near-flawless Olympic free skate performance to earn the U.S. its first women's figure skating gold medal since 2002. After retiring in 2022 due to burnout, Liu made a remarkable comeback, winning the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships and now the individual gold medal at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Liu's reset and break from the sport helped her return stronger than ever.

Why it matters

Liu's comeback story is an inspiration, showing that taking a break can sometimes be the key to success. Her gold medal ends a 24-year drought for the U.S. in women's figure skating, and her unique personal style and fashion sense have also made her a rising star in Italy.

The details

In 2019, Liu became the youngest U.S. figure skating champion at age 13. But after finishing sixth at the 2022 Beijing Games, she abruptly retired, citing burnout from endless training. After a two-year break, Liu returned to the sport and has since won the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships and the individual gold medal at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

  • In 2019, Liu became the youngest U.S. figure skating champion at age 13.
  • In 2022, Liu finished sixth at the Beijing Olympics and then retired.
  • In 2024-2025, Liu returned to skating and won the World Figure Skating Championships.
  • On February 20, 2026, Liu won the individual gold medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

The players

Alysa Liu

A 20-year-old American figure skater who won the individual gold medal at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, becoming the first American woman to win Olympic gold in figure skating since 2002.

Sarah Hughes

The last American woman to win the Olympic figure skating gold medal, which she did in 2002 at the Salt Lake City Games.

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What they’re saying

“Breaks can do wonders for you.”

— Alysa Liu (wbal.com)

“I think every athlete should take a break, to be honest. Not just athletes, everyone in general that's kind of in the same loop of their life, I think it's very healthy to kind of step back and get a different perspective. I sure learned a lot from it. It's all just personal experience, but I guess it works.”

— Alysa Liu (wbal.com)

What’s next

Liu will look to defend her Olympic title at the 2030 Winter Games in Vancouver.

The takeaway

Alysa Liu's remarkable comeback story shows that taking a break can sometimes be the key to success, and that even the most talented athletes can benefit from stepping away from their sport to recharge and gain a fresh perspective.