The 2026 Winter Olympics consisted of many outstanding American Athletes. Americans took home 33 medals from Milan. Of these 33 medals, 12 gold medals marked a new record for the United States at a single winter games. Included amongst these medalists was stand out figure skater Alysa Liu. Liu has made a name for her skating talent over the past few years with numerous world championships and dominance in this year’s Winter Olympic Games.
Born in Clovis, California, Liu began skating at the age of five. Alysa’s father, Arthur Liu kept her striving for one goal, making it to the Olympic Games. The world knew well before she turned 18 years old that she would do just that, if not more. The prodigy captured her first U.S title at the age of 12, and instantly made a name for herself as the youngest woman to land a triple axel. A year later, she won the 2019 U.S. National Figure Staking Championship, becoming the youngest skater to do so. Alysa participated at the Beijing Olympics and World Championships in 2022 as the highest achieving American. Unfortunately, faced with the intense pressure from a young age, Alysa began to lose her will to compete. She made the difficult decision to retire from competitive skating at 16.
Alysa has not only made a name for her skill in the past Olympics, but her unique style and resilient attitude made her the most memorable in the pool of athletes. Alysa styles herself with brown and gold banded hair, piercings and sparkly dresses. Her constant smile radiates the room and her performances. In early 2024, Alysa rediscovered her love for the sport on a ski trip with her friends to Lake Tahoe. Skiing offered her the closest experience to skating in years. She quickly realized why she fell in love with the art of figure skating.
Alysa officially returned to skating in 2024. She trained at Lakewood Ice in California to prepare for the 2026 Olympic Games. She returned with a new, joyful approach to the sport. Headlining herself as a fierce competitor, and overall joy to watch. Being the first U.S woman since 2002, Alysa won the women’s singles Olympic gold medal. Alysa also played a significant role in securing the gold medal for the U.S. in the team event. She added to her glory by attaining a double gold performance through a resilient smile capturing the hearts of all watching in Milan and at home. Alysa used her joyous attitude and determined skill to leave her performances on our minds for years.
