Olympic champion Liu to skip upcoming season, plans return
Alysa Liu, who won women's figure skating gold at the 2026 Milan Olympics, announced she will not compete this season. The 21-year-old said on Instagram she needs time to recalibrate and fine-tune her artistry, but vowed to return. Liu's Milan victory was the first U.S. women's Olympic gold in the event since 2002.
Liu's decision marks the second hiatus of her career, following her initial retirement in 2022 after a seventh-place Olympic finish and world bronze. She returned to competition in October 2024 and captured the world title in Boston by March 2025, demonstrating an unusual ability to regain elite form after extended breaks.
Her competitive resume includes back-to-back U.S. national titles in 2019 and 2020, making her the youngest national champion in history at age 13. At the Milan Games, she overtook Japan's Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai in the free skate, ending a 24-year U.S. gold drought in women's figure skating.
Liu's absence may reshape the upcoming competitive landscape, potentially elevating the profiles of teammates like Amber Glenn and international rivals. Her pattern of successful comebacks could influence how young athletes view career longevity and mental health prioritization in high-pressure sports. Fans may also see this as validation that elite performers can step back without permanently ending their careers, though her eventual return will ultimately test whether extended breaks remain sustainable at the sport's highest level.