Alysa Liu Caps Incredible Comeback With Two Olympic Golds!
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On February 19, 2026, American figure skater Alysa Liu delivered a flawless routine to win the women’s individual title at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Her victory ended a 24-year gold medal drought in the event for the United States (US). The last American woman to win was Sarah Hughes in 2002.
Liu entered the free skate in third place after the short program. Her performance to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park” was superb, combining technical mastery with expressive artistry. It brought her total score to 226.79, just ahead of Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto, who scored 224.90 and took home silver. On February 16, Liu also helped the US capture its first-ever Olympic gold in the team figure skating event.
The 20-year-old first rose to fame in 2019 when she became the youngest US national champion at age 13. She repeated the feat in 2020 and made history as the first American woman to land a quadruple jump in competition. This is one of the sport’s most difficult moves. Two years later, she represented Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, finishing sixth. Later that year, Liu earned a bronze medal at the World Championships.
But shortly after the event, Liu decided to step away from competition. Skating, she said, had lost the joy it once brought her and felt more like work. She shifted her focus to college and spent time exploring her interests in fashion and photography.
A family ski trip in 2024 reminded Liu of her love for the ice. She announced her comeback soon after. But this time, she chose routines that showcased her own style. She also paced her training carefully to protect her well-being. Her strategy has paid off. On March 28, 2025, Liu became the first American woman in 19 years to win the figure skating World Championships. Now, she has claimed two Olympic golds, cementing her place among the sport’s greats.
"I just wanted to skate because I love it. Winning is incredible, but finding my joy again was the most important thing," Liu said after her Olympics win.
Resources: People.com, NPR.com, NBCarea.com, Wikipedia.org
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48 Comments
- nybakajesuma15 daysThat is crazy. SHE IS AMAZING!!
cutekittin5316 dayswish i was able to do that!
stay92919 daysI do ice skating and doing I won a most of my competitions I am still learning but Alysa Liu made me want to start skating on the ice plus my uncle was a competitive figure skater
rdicola20 daysGO USA!!!we have the best skaters and best skater outfits & hair!- rdicola20 daysAlysa is my favorite skater!!!she is seriously the BEST(+love the hair)
105579320 daysso cooool . I wish I can do that !!!- stay92919 daysSame
l_isstupid21 daysi love Alysa <3 her and Yuzuru Hanyu are my favorite skaters!
ripclaude21 daysGo USA 🇺🇸
milkfanforever21 daysThe father must be so proud. He spend a bit less than a million for her learning i think.
sapymokahipe21 daysyooooo this is crazyyyy
