Alysa Liu capped a historic run at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, where she captured individual Olympic gold in women’s figure skating and helped the United States win the team event, ending a 24-year U.S. gold medal drought in the discipline. The 20-year-old’s performances, including a near-flawless free skate, drew praise for their technical precision and emotional depth and reinforced her status as one of the sport’s most compelling stars.
Liu’s rise is especially remarkable given her unique career path: after becoming the youngest U.S. women’s national champion at age 13, she retired from competitive skating at age 16 following the 2022 Olympics, only to return in 2024 with renewed passion and focus. In March 2025, she won the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, becoming the first American woman to win that title in nearly two decades.
Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Although the Winter Olympics have now concluded, skating fans won’t have long to wait for more competitive action from Liu.
She still lists the 2026 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, set for March 24-29 in Prague, Czech Republic, on her official schedule as she defends her world title.
In addition to competition, Liu has been announced as one of the U.S. figure skaters taking part in the “Stars on Ice” tour, which will begin in Japan in April before continuing throughout the United States in April and May. The tour brings together many of the top performers from the Olympic season and offers fans a chance to see elite skating in arenas outside of the championship circuit.
Liu’s compelling comeback and Olympic triumph have generated widespread attention across sport and culture. Fans and commentators have highlighted her technical achievements, such as combined triple Axel and quad jump elements, and her vibrant personality that has helped broaden figure skating’s appeal.
With World Championships on the horizon and a busy Stars on Ice tour ahead, Liu’s post-Olympic season promises to keep her at the forefront of international figure skating as she builds on a remarkable run that has captivated audiences around the globe.