Alysa Liu Wins Olympic Gold
Alysa Liu captured Olympic gold in women's figure skating at age 20, delivering a relaxed, joyful performance after stepping away from the sport. The Californian's comeback was marked by "skating loose, smiling and doing it her own way" in a crowd-pleasing free skate. Her victory demonstrates the power of a positive mindset and athlete well-being over pressure-filled competition.
- This victory marks the first individual Olympic gold medal for a U.S. woman in figure skating in 24 years, since Sarah Hughes won at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. - Liu, who retired from the sport at age 16 after the 2022 Beijing Olympics citing burnout, was inspired to return after a ski trip nearly two years later reminded her of the adrenaline rush of competing. - During her time away from the rink, she enrolled at UCLA to study psychology, went on hiking trips to the Himalayas, and experienced life outside the intense world of elite skating. - She entered the final free skate in third place, behind Japan's Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto, but her clean performance featuring seven triple jumps earned her a top score of 150.20 in the segment and a total of 226.79 for the win. Sakamoto ultimately won the silver medal, with Nakai taking the bronze. - Before her initial retirement, Liu had already made history as the youngest-ever U.S. national champion at age 13 and the first American woman to land a quadruple jump in competition. - Her individual gold was her second of the 2026 Milano Cortina Games; she also helped Team USA win gold in the figure skating team event. - Liu's comeback season leading up to the Olympics included winning the 2025 World Championships, which was the first world title for a U.S. woman since Kimmie Meissner in 2006.
