After two-and-a-half remarkable weeks at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Alysa Liu returned home Monday night to a festive welcome.
The 20-year-old Oakland native received a warm reception when she landed at the San Francisco International Airport. A TikTok video posted on Tuesday captured her celebratory homecoming at the airport. Fans loudly cheered as she walked through the jet bridge decorated with gold balloons and tinsel curtains.
Liu returned home with two Olympic gold medals. She became a global sensation after winning gold in the women’s singles competition. Her victory secured the United States its first women’s singles Olympic title in figure skating in 24 years. In addition to her individual title, she also helped Team USA capture gold in the figure skating team event.
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In a recent interview, coach Phillip DiGuglielmo said celebrations of Liu’s Olympic success will be brief because she must focus on the upcoming world competition.
“No press tour right away, no nothing. … Alysa is going to have some time for herself, but it won’t be much, because we leave for Prague March 21,” he said.
The 2026 World Figure Skating Championships are scheduled to take place in Prague from March 23 to 29. After Prague, Liu will skate in the Stars on Ice tour in Japan for nine days. She will then appear in 28 shows on the U.S. leg over six weeks.
While he outlined Liu’s near-term plans, DiGuglielmo did not confirm whether she will compete in the 2030 Winter Olympics in France.
“People are telling her, 'You could skate four more years, be in another Olympics.’ The sport could be very different in four more years,” he said.
DiGuglielmo’s remarks offered little clarity on Liu’s future in skating, at least in terms of the Winter Games. Even Liu herself has not publicly indicated whether she will extend her career through the next Olympic cycle.
Liu was asked by NBC during the Olympics’ closing ceremony on Sunday whether she plans to pursue another Olympic gold medal, but she didn’t answer directly.
“I have no plans to leave yet. … I can’t imagine not skating next year,” the Olympic champion said, per Forbes.
Liu’s comment offered little insight into her long-term competitive plans but hinted she intends to keep skating through next year. As for the 2030 Olympics, neither she nor her coach has made any commitments at this point.
Liu retired from figure skating in 2022 at the age of 16. She made her comeback in 2024, won a world title the next year and became a two-time Olympic gold medalist in 2026.