After stepping away from figure skating at 16, UCLA student Alysa Liu made a successful return to the sport, capturing gold in the women’s figure skating competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Liu was part of Team USA’s “Blade Angels,” along with Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn.
Liu’s win marks the first time an American woman has taken gold in this event since Sarah Hughes did so in 2002. At those Salt Lake City Games, Michelle Kwan, another skater who attended UCLA, earned bronze.
During the medal ceremony on February 19 at Milano Ice Skating Arena, Liu celebrated her victory. She performed cleanly throughout both her short program and free skate. In an interview with “60 Minutes” earlier this year, Liu said, “I’m really excited because my goal, honestly, is just to hype people up, give them an experience, whether it’s negative or positive. As long as people are feeling some strong emotions and anticipation, I’m fine with that.”
Originally from Oakland, California, Liu had retired after competing at the Beijing Olympics in 2022. She had previously become the youngest-ever U.S. women’s national champion at age 13 and accumulated several titles before leaving competition.
A ski trip in early 2024 inspired her comeback. Speaking to NBC about her decision to return, she said: “Two years ago, I went on that ski trip, and I missed that jumping rush.”
Liu chose her own coaches and music for this Olympic cycle and returned to international competition by winning at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston last March.
A promotional video narrated by Taylor Swift described Liu’s journey: “Joy fuels her now. Every jump a celebration. Every performance a testament to the beauty of knowing yourself.”
In addition to her individual gold medal, Liu also earned gold as part of Team USA’s victory in the team competition alongside Glenn; ice dancing pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates; skating pair Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea; and Ilia Malinin.
“It’s been such a treat,” Liu told NBC’s “Today” regarding the team event. “After having a COVID Olympics, this one definitely feels really different. And to be in the team event was extremely fun for me. I want to be in the team event every time now.”
