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Alysa Liu made an incredible comeback. Four years after retiring, the figure skater returned to the ice for the 2026 Olympics, where she made history by winning gold in the women's figure skating final on February 19. Her victory made her the first Team USA member to win since Sarah Hughes in 2002, and only the second since Sasha Cohen in 2006.
The 20-year-old, who skated to Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park," achieved another feat with her victory: she became the first skater to win a gold medal in her 20s since Japan's Shizuka Arakawa won at the age of 24 at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
And the Olympian was clearly overwhelmed by his first-place finish at Milano Cortino games. Alysa reflected on her victory on her way to the medal ceremony, where she was joined by Japan's Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai, who won silver and bronze, respectively.
"I just can't handle this. ""There's no way," Alysa replied. "I really liked my skate a lot."
This is Alysa's second gold medal at the Winter Olympics; she previously won the figure skating team event on February 8.
After competing in the 2022 Olympics, then 16-year-old Alysa announced she would be retiring from figure skating, explaining at the time that she had achieved the two goals she had set for herself in skating.
"They were, one, to compete in the Olympics," she wrote in a since-deleted 2022 Instagram post, "and two, to have fun" with my skating friends and everyone else, as well as to have a good time during my skating career. Those were the only two goals I had, and once I accomplished them this year, I realized there was nothing else I wanted to do with skating."
“Now that I'm done, I can have more time to see my friends and family, which is honestly what I want more than anything right now," she was telling me. "I believe I would prioritize my friendships and family over skating. At the same time, I believe I have accomplished all of my goals with skating. It doesn't feel like a sacrifice but more like I'm graduating."
In January 2024, Alysa rediscovered her passion for skating during a ski trip to Lake Tahoe, Calif., prompting her to re-enter the competition. "I went on that ski trip two years ago, and I missed the adrenaline rush," Alysa told NBC Los Angeles after winning her first gold medal. "Winning her first gold medal. "I needed to feel. that again, and that has brought me here. What I've experienced the past two years has been nothing short of just incredible."
