Why Did Alysa Liu Retire? Skater Won Olympic Gold After Her Comeback

Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu made an epic comeback to Team USA figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, just shy of four years after she temporarily retired from the sport.

Alysa has been skating for most of her life, having first stepped onto the ice at age 5 at the encouragement of her father, Arthur Liu. She proved to be a prodigy in the sport, becoming the youngest-ever U.S. Figure Skating champion at just 13 years old.

However, Alysa’s figure skating career was seemingly cut short when she retired at age 16 after representing Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Alysa retreated from the spotlight for two full seasons before unveiling her comeback to the ice in March 2024.

Since her return, Alysa kicked off the 2026 Winter Games at Milan and Cortina, Italy, with a gold medal win in the team event on February 8. All eyes were on Alysa as she clinched her second gold medal while competing in the women’s figure skating free skate on February 19.

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Keep scrolling for more about Alysa’s retirement and unexpected comeback.

What Led Up to Alysa Liu’s Retirement from Figure Skating?

Alysa Liu’s father, Arthur Liu, first introduced her to skating when she was only 5 years old, first with group classes and later in private training sessions with coach Laura Lipetsky. Arthur also got involved in Alysa’s training by tracking the speed of her jumps with a radar gun and analyzing her progress in practice.

“I spared no money, no time,” Arthur told 60 Minutes in 2026. “I just saw the talent.”

Alysa’s hard work paid off at age 10 when she won an intermediate gold medal at the 2016 U.S. Championships. Three years later, Alysa became the youngest U.S. Figure Skating champion of all time when she clinched the women’s singles title at age 13 in Detroit.

In recent years, Alysa has reflected on the physical and emotional toll of intensely training from such a young age.

Alysa Liu on the ice at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Sarah Stier/Getty Images

“I ice skated every day when I was 13, 14, so it was a very abnormal childhood,” she told 60 Minutes in January 2026.

Alysa compared childhood athletic training to having a “job,” adding, “Especially as a kid, you don’t really know what you want. Skating feels more like a responsibility, or a burden even.”

How Did Alysa Liu Announce Her Retirement from Figure Skating?

Alysa Liu was fresh off representing Team USA at the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022 when she announced her retirement at age 16.

“Heyyyyy so i’m here to announce that i am retiring from skating,” she revealed via Instagram in April 2022. “I started skating when i was 5 so that’s about 11 years on the ice and it’s been an insane 11 years. a lot of good and a lot of bad but (you know) that’s just how it is. i’ve made so many friends, and so so sooo many good memories that i’ll have for the rest of my life.’

The figure skater said that she felt ready to “move on” with her life because she “never thought i would’ve accomplished as much I did.”

“I’m so happy,” she went on “I feel so satisfied with how my skating career has gone. now that i’m finally done with my goals in skating i’m going to be moving on with my life. (Right now) i’m probably just gonna spend all my spare time with my family and friends; and i’m also going to study (you know what I mean). but (for real) this skating thing has taught me a lot more about life than i anticipated. i’m really glad i skated.”

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Looking back on that crucial decision, Alysa explained to Cosmopolitan in February 2026 that she was ready for a completely different lifestyle.

“There was nothing more I wanted than to just be with my friends and my family, and skating had nothing to do with that at that point,” she said.

How Did Alysa Liu Announce Her Comeback?

Alysa Liu stayed away from figure skating for two full seasons before announcing on March 1, 2024, that she was “back on the ice.”

“More jumps soon,” she promised.

In a Team USA press release announcing her comeback, Alysa said that she was coming back to the sport with a brand new “perspective.”

“It was good for me to take time off from skating, and I am beyond excited to begin skating again with my newly found perspective,” the athlete said at the time.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan in February 2026, Alysa confirmed that she returned to the skating rink because she was ready for a new challenge in life.

“I went through a whole year of school, and during winter break, I went skiing and I realized school was hard, but it was not challenging enough for me,” she acknowledged. “I got into other things, like fashion, but I never went to the gym. Skating gave me something to be strong for. I love having willpower.”

Alysa Liu of Team with her Olympic Gold Medal in Milan and Cortina. Elsa/Getty Images

She went on, “I used to never care about programs, what you skated to, your dresses, stuff like that. Now, I love skating dresses and helping with the design process. This sport is kind of an outlet for me. I love dance and music, so it’s everything in one.”

Alysa remerged with a new approach to skating and a signature striped hairstyle. She won the 2025 World Figure Skating Championship in Boston and took home the Women’s Singles Title at the 2025-26 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Nagoya, Japan.

“Looking back, I’m glad [how everything happened],” she told Olympics.com. “I’m almost glad that I had to struggle so much because I learned so much from that, you know? And I think it definitely played a role in where I am today… it definitely helped me. I needed to go through that.”

What Has Alysa Liu’s Record Been Since Her Comeback?

Alysa Liu returned to the grand stage of the Olympics in Milano and Cortina in February 2026 alongside Team USA’s fellow “Blade Angels” Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito. The squad started out strong with a gold medal in the Team Event on February 8. (Alysa shared the gold with Glenn, Ilia Malinin, Ellie Kam, Daniel O’Shea, Madison Chock and Evan Bates.)

On February 19, Alysa took home the gold in singles competition when she finished ahead of Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai, both of Team Japan.

Ahead of the Olympic women’s figure skating free skate on February 19, Alysa insisted she was not putting pressure on herself to bring home another gold model.

“A medal? I don’t need a medal,” she assured USA Today. “I just need to be here, and I just need to be present. And I need people to see what I do next.”