From winning gold in Women’s Hockey, Halfpipe, and Bobsled, the 2026 Winter Olympics, held in Milano-Cortina, were nothing short of celebratory for Team USA. However, one sport dominated fan culture: Women’s Figure Skating. This rise in attention comes from the spotlight on three figure skaters aptly named the “Blade Angels,” a trio made up of the best female figure skaters in the United States.
Isabeau Levito, 18, has been skating since she was three, inspired by the athletes of Team USA who came before her. Effortless on the ice, Levito skates with a passion that touches all in the audience and watching from home. She is supported by her family home in New Jersey, and her grandmother who lives just 13 minutes from the Olympics stage in Milan. Levito previously won the 2024 World Figure Skating Championship and placed third at the 2025 competition. Her short program to “Almost in Your Arms” and “Zou Bisou Bisou,” combined with her free skate to “Cinema Paradiso” earned her a score of 202.80 and 12th place for her Olympic debut.
Amber Glenn, 26, is from Plano, Texas, and has been skating since she was five. Glenn also made her Olympic debut this year, but is no stranger to the competitive world of figure skating, taking home gold in the U.S. Figure Skating Championship three years in a row. As an advocate for athletes’ mental health, Glenn proudly reflects on her own hardships and how they helped pave the way for her to be the strong, confident skater that she is today, able to take the Olympic ice by storm. Her short program performance to Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” wasn’t perfect, but her redemption in the free skate that secured her fifth place proved that Glenn’s hard work this season paid off.
But there’s one Blade Angel who prevailed above the competition.
Alysa Liu is the epitome of grace. Her skating career began at age five in Oakland, California, with her father at the forefront of her coaching staff. Liu went on to be the youngest women’s U.S champion in history at 13, and at just 16 years old, Liu placed sixth in the women’s event at the 2020 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Two years later, she announced her retirement from the sport in an Instagram post that opened with the word, “heyyyyy.”
Thankfully, this was not the end of Liu’s career, only a brief hiatus before returning to the ice to compete again in 2024 after asking her father to take a step back. This time, Liu was doing things how she wanted to do them. Now, she skates for enjoyment, not recognition.
“I love struggling, actually. It makes me feel alive.” Liu said on 60 Minutes. Her words exude her self assuredness and her capabilities. Liu’s message of perseverance is one not just for athletes, but for young girls everywhere. When you are in tune with your heart, the body and mind will follow, and it is evident that Liu is nothing short of the best version of herself when she steps out onto the ice. She placed second in the U.S. Women’s Figure Skating Championships in 2024 and 2025, setting her down her Olympic path to success. Her short program skate to “Promise” by Laufey combined with her free skate to “MacArthur Park” by Donna Summer landed Liu in first place, taking home the gold medal not just for Team USA, but for herself. Both programs exemplified Liu’s technical abilities like her jumps and spins, but also the beauty of the in-between parts – how she almost floats with captivating emotion and pure love for her sport.
Liu is perfection when she glides across the ice, capturing the hearts of viewers everywhere, but that’s not what’s important to her. Liu’s journey transcends her need for the hardware around her neck. “Now, I don’t care, but it’s because I value, I guess, the art of skating so much more,” said Liu. Her perspective shift from competitor to artist is not one commonly seen in women’s sports considering the constant pressure women are put under when they are pinned against each other. The Blade Angels are proof that they are stronger as skaters and more confident in their craft when they are focused on uplifting each other and not giving into competitive pressure.
Even before her historic win as the first American to secure the gold medal in the event in 24 years, the internet was all over Liu and her “alt icon” aesthetic. From the striped hair, to her pierced frenulum she did herself, along with her mindset, Liu sets herself apart in a way that is uniquely her own. “That’s what I’m f*cking talking about!” she exclaimed into the camera as she stepped off the ice during her final performance. The internet has been flooded with support, fan art, and TikTok edits for Liu.
Much can be taken away from Liu’s inspiring story. “Winning isn’t all that,” she said. “And neither is losing. It’s just something that happens … What matters is the input and the journey … I came back to share all of my art … and I do it on my own terms.”