On February 19, 2026, the Milano Ice Skating Arena erupted in applause as Alysa Liu delivered a breathtaking performance that not only earned her the gold medal in the women’s figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics, but also ended a 24-year drought for American women atop the Olympic podium. At just 20 years old, Liu’s journey to this triumphant moment was anything but ordinary, marked by early brilliance, a dramatic retirement, and a bold, self-driven comeback that has captivated fans and fellow athletes alike.
Liu’s Olympic story is already the stuff of legend. Entering the free skate in third place after the short program, she needed something truly special to climb to the top. What followed was an electrifying routine that left judges and spectators in awe. Skating to a medley that included Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park” and Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” and “Bad Romance,” Liu earned a season-best free skate score of 150.20, bringing her total to 226.79 points—enough to secure the gold. “I literally can’t process this,” Liu confessed as she walked down the tunnel of the arena, her disbelief matching the excitement of the crowd.
But Liu’s gold medal wasn’t just a victory for the record books—it was a personal triumph, the culmination of a journey that began when she laced up her first pair of skates at age five. Raised in Oakland by her single father, Arthur, Liu is the eldest of five siblings, all born via egg donors and surrogacy. She quickly rose through the ranks, landing her first triple axel at age twelve—a feat nearly unheard of for someone so young—and becoming the youngest women’s national champion in U.S. history at thirteen. By fifteen, she had graduated high school to focus exclusively on training for the Olympics.
Her early success, however, came at a cost. Liu was homeschooled, shuttled between training centers across the country and abroad, and subjected to immense pressure both on and off the ice. “I skated every single day. I didn’t get a day off, so it was pretty intense,” Liu recalled of those years. The scrutiny extended to every aspect of her life, including her diet and even hydration. “You can’t drink water even, because of water weight. Imagine telling a 13-year-old that they can’t drink water because of water weight!” she said, describing the toxic environment that eventually led to her burnout.
After competing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics—where she placed sixth—and winning bronze at the World Championships the same year, Liu stunned the skating world by announcing her retirement at sixteen. “I knew that little me, at one point, wanted to go to the Olympics,” she explained. “And so I was like, ‘Well, I did it. There’s nothing else holding me to this sport. Now, I’m free.’” For the next two years, Liu lived the life she had missed out on: enrolling at UCLA, trying mountain climbing, going on ski trips, and spending time with friends and family. She even trekked 40 miles to the Mount Everest Base Camp, embracing adventures far from the ice rink.
Yet, the pull of skating proved irresistible. In early 2024, a ski trip reignited her passion for the sport, and by summer, Liu was back in training—this time on her own terms. She designed her own dresses, chose her music, and set her training schedule. “When I was a kid, so many people told me who I was and who I wanted to be—there was so much projection. I didn’t have a chance to explore myself, my brain, or my hobbies, but now I have, so I’m feeling really grounded in who I am,” Liu reflected. Her coach, Phillip DiGuglielmo, who has worked with her on and off for more than a decade, noticed the transformation: “She’s not doing it because she is trying to build a legacy or anything like that. She’s just doing it because it makes her so thrilled.”
Liu’s 2.0 era was on full display at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, where she delivered what many called the performance of her career, winning gold at age nineteen. The energy in the arena was palpable. “The happiest I felt was, after I hit my ending pose, seeing everyone stand up and start roaring. I was like, ‘Oh hell yeah!’ But it wasn’t the winning part that made me feel good, it was actually the skate program I did. It was my favorite run through I’ve ever done. And the energy was insane. Everyone was cheering, clapping, dancing. I would do anything to skate that program and feel the energy of all those people again.”
Liu’s return to competition was as much about creative expression as athletic achievement. She worked closely with choreographer Massimo Scali to craft routines that showcased her artistry, debuting a new free skate set to Lady Gaga at the 2026 U.S. National Championships, where she placed second and secured her spot on the Olympic team. Alongside teammates Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito—collectively dubbed the “Blade Angels” thanks to a series of viral TikToks—Liu brought a fresh, dynamic energy to Team USA.
But it wasn’t just Liu’s skating that caught the world’s attention in Milan. Her signature hairstyle—alternating horizontal bands of brunette and blonde—became a sensation in its own right. The look, refined with hairstylist Kelsey Miller, was more than a fashion statement. Each stripe represents a tree ring, symbolizing time and growth. “I just want to be a tree,” Liu told Paralympian Haven Shepherd in a TikTok conversation. “Add a new ring every year... I’m just gonna keep adding one every time.” This living timeline mirrored her personal and athletic journey, reinforcing her individuality in a sport often defined by conformity. Miller explained, “Your hair is truly your identity. It can help you with your confidence... I love to see that this is brought into the sports world because I feel like [the confidence that comes from it] only makes her a better athlete.”
Liu’s gold medal performance capped a podium that reflected both the sport’s future and its legacy, with Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto earning silver in her final Olympic appearance and teenage teammate Ami Nakai taking bronze. For Liu, though, the victory was about more than medals. “I skate now to show what I can make, and what I can do. I really just want to show my art. I refuse to not choose my own destiny,” she insisted.
With her historic win, Alysa Liu has redefined what it means to compete at the highest level. She’s not just skating for scores or applause—she’s skating for herself, for her story, and for the sheer joy of creation. As the world watched her glide across the ice in Milan, it was clear: this is just the beginning of a new era for American figure skating, one rooted in authenticity, resilience, and boundless possibility.