After stepping away from competitive figure skating at age 16, UCLA student Alysa Liu made a return to the sport and secured gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Competing as part of Team USA’s “Blade Angels,” alongside fellow American skaters Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn, Liu participated in both the short program and free skate this week.
Liu’s victory marks the first time an American woman has won Olympic gold in figure skating since Sarah Hughes achieved the feat in 2002 at Salt Lake City. Michelle Kwan, another former UCLA student, earned bronze that same year.
“I’m really excited because my goal, honestly, is just to hype people up, give them an experience, whether it’s negative or positive,” Liu told “60 Minutes” earlier this year. “As long as people are feeling some strong emotions and anticipation, I’m fine with that.”
Originally from Oakland, California, Liu retired after competing in the 2022 Beijing Games. At just 13 years old she became the youngest-ever U.S. women’s national champion before amassing multiple titles and medals ahead of her early retirement.
A ski trip in early 2024 prompted her return to skating. “Two years ago, I went on that ski trip, and I missed that jumping rush,” she told NBC.
This time around, Liu managed her comeback independently—choosing her own coaches and music—and displayed visible enthusiasm during her routines. She also claimed victory at the World Figure Skating Championships held last March in Boston.
As Taylor Swift narrated in a promotional video for this week’s competition: “Liu walked away from skating when she was 16, but then came back on her own terms.” Swift continued: “Joy fuels her now. Every jump a celebration. Every performance a testament to the beauty of knowing yourself.”
Liu concluded these Games with two gold medals: one individual and another as part of Team USA’s win in the team event. Her teammates included Glenn; ice dancing pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates; pairs skaters Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea; and Ilia Malinin.
“It’s been such a treat,” Liu told NBC’s “Today” about winning team gold. “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.”
