Alysa Liu has taken the world by storm with her incredible and joyous figure skating at the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics. Having started skating at 5 years old, now at just the age of 20, Liu is an Olympic gold medalist for both the USA Olympic national team title and the Women’s Free Skate program. It’s not just her exceptional skill that has been met with awe, but her mindset. With all eyes on her, the young skater is inspiring many with her endlessly optimistic and loving outlook on competing and showcasing her talent.
Liu has been known as a prodigy in the figure skating world since she began competing, having made history on multiple accounts. At 13 years old, Alysa became the youngest U.S. women’s champion in 2019, and in the same year, she became the first American woman skater to land a quadruple jump. On top of that, she is the first woman skater to have ever landed a quad Lutz and triple Axel in the same skating program.
Therefore, it came as a shock to the world when Liu announced she was retiring from skating at 16 years old, which she announced through an Instagram post starting with “heyyyy.” In interviews since returning, Liu describes how skating had become an immense source of stress for her; she would uncontrollably cry every time she practiced at the rink and had no freedom regarding what she ate, how she dressed, when she practiced, and endless more decisions. During her time stepping away from the ice, Liu attended the University of California, Los Angeles. While enrolled, studying psychology, she took the much-needed time to find herself and reassess what she wanted. Not her father, or her coach, but herself and herself alone.
“No one’s gonna starve me. Tell me what I can and can’t eat.”
Liu describes how, during a ski trip in 2024, she felt a sudden calling to go back onto the ice. Upon doing so, she immediately landed a perfect double Axel jump and realized she missed skating and wanted to return to competitions, but on her own terms and conditions. In announcing her comeback, Liu made it clear that no one would have control over her. This was a signal call to the entire figure skating community and competitive athletics as a whole; harsh and dehumanizing coaches were people she would never put up with again. Since returning, it is clear she came back with a new sense of self and outlook on skating, having never looked happier.
Many feel inspired by Liu’s prioritization of her health and joy. The skating world, most especially for female skaters, can be ruthless, crushing, and impossibly demanding. In keeping her passion alive, Liu unapologetically insists that what she wants for herself is what matters most at the end of the day. This insistence has allowed her to never let skating turn into something punishing again. No one can truly know what skating means to her, and therefore, no one should ever dictate her relationship with the sport. Without having that control and autonomy, passion can become lost in a world of demands and expectations; Liu advocates against this.
A common question asked of Liu by reporters has been whether she felt nervous to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Prior to this year’s games and her retirement announcement, Liu competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics, placing eighth among the world’s top female skaters. In announcing her return, she faced the current competition with immense pressure but never displayed herself succumbing to it. She has stated that she does not view competing with stress because she does not see herself in threat of losing anything. In interviews, Liu speaks with excitement towards competing while being able to share her story and see others share theirs. “Loss” in the traditional sense of the word is not something Liu fears, as she encourages herself not to add pressure rooted in worry to her result.
She views the games with genuine excitement and gratitude. Liu’s attitude highlights and serves as a needed reminder that the result is not all that matters. On top of that, her outlook on facing struggles is one met with optimism for self-growth and actualization. Self-actualization, as defined in psychology, represents one of the highest levels a person can reach in unlocking their fullest potential by focusing on their self-growth and personal sense of fulfillment.
What people seem to love the most about Liu skating at the Olympics is how genuinely happy she looks. Appearing to be floating on the ice in this year’s games, it’s her freedom in skating that has drawn so much of the world to her, both as a skater and as a person. Liu’s mindset is special in that it is endlessly kind towards herself and those around her. Her journey highlights the strength and power of being proud of ourselves and forgiving of our own struggles. Liu setting distance between herself and skating is what allowed her to grow closer to the sport because she was able to realign herself with what her goals actually are.
Proving that joy triumphs any kind of external reward, Alysa Liu’s gold medal win in no way marks the end of her journey. Her story is one that has no defining end goal; it is one defined by joy and pride in every moment of practicing, struggling, and performing. Skating lifts her up rather than weighing her down only because she encourages herself to view it with unconditional love.