Every four years, when the Olympics roll around, I personally become obsessed with figure skating, skiing and hockey. This Olympics cycle, one athlete completely took over, taking home a gold medal and the hearts of many Americans.
Alyssa Liu is a 20-year-old figure skater who was put on the ice at age five. She was an instant talent, so her immigrant father dedicated himself to getting the best coaches to help her succeed, and succeed she did: by age 13, she was winning national titles and beating many adults, but was too young to compete internationally.
When she was just 16, she competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics and took home a bronze medal. However, shortly after that, she retired from the sport at the age of just 16, saying in a now-deleted Instagram post, “I feel so satisfied with how my skating career has gone.”
In her retirement, she simply lived her “normal, teenage-girl, older-sister life,” where skating wasn’t consuming all of her thoughts and time.
In 2024, almost two years into her retirement, she went back to the skating rink with her friends. It was there she decided to make her return to the sport, calling her coach, Phillip DiGuglielmo, who promptly called her crazy for it.
Crazy? Possibly. But in less than two years, Alyssa Liu has made a return to skating in a huge way. She came back wanting control over her costumes, choreography and music, after discovering her creativity during her retirement. Saying that this time she was skating it was fully for herself. In a sport that’s defined by rigid expectations, performing simply for herself and not winning is a statement.
She made it all the way to the 2026 Milan Olympics, where she took home the gold medal. What’s even better is the way she celebrated with her fellow competitors. Hugging and supporting the silver and bronze medal winners in a sport that traditionally pits competitors against each other is game-changing behavior.
Her attitude around failing, quitting and trying again is nothing short of remarkable for her age, and an inspiration to all, but especially other women in sports. The idea that champions can take breaks and still win, eat healthy and still win and have balance with their sport and still win, is nothing short of remarkable.
Figure skating has been tainted in recent years with sexual assault and doping scandals, as well as a myriad of eating disorders among the athletes. Liu has been an adamant voice against this, showing everyone that they can have fun and enjoy their sport, and still be a champion. Simply the way she competes and talks about her retirement with no regrets is sending a message to other athletes everywhere.
When watching Liu perform and in interviews, her energy is infectious. She is incredibly well-spoken and exudes confidence. Listening to her perspectives on rest, work ethic, and competition can teach everyone a lesson, and we can just hope to see more of Liu in the future.