Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu is taking a step back from figure skating after winning big at the 2026 Milan Cortina games — but she’ll be back.
“To my supporters, while people are announcing programs, imma take this time to announce that I will not be competing this season,” Liu, 21, announced via Instagram on Tuesday, August 25.
She noted that she’d be using her time off to find balance in her life and ultimately come back a stronger athlete.
“I always want to challenge myself in new ways, so my artistry & skating can evolve,” Liu explained. “It’s important to me that my sport reflects my personal growth.”
The California native reassured her followers that it’s not goodbye, just a pause in her training.
“I’m gonna take the time to recalibrate, fine-tune things & whatnot,” Liu continued. “So fear not, I’ll be back, & in the meantime I’ll be rooting for my teammates near & far. See yall soon!!”
This is not the first hiatus Liu has taken in her short but illustrious career. After stepping on the ice at age 5, Liu quickly became a phenom in the sport, winning the U.S. Figure Skating championship when she was 13 — making her the youngest ever to do so.
Three years later, Liu surprised fans when she retired at the age of 16 after representing Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Liu retreated from the limelight for two seasons before announcing in March 2024 that she was coming back to the ice.
The break appeared to be just what Liu needed to revive her career. When she represented Team USA at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, she took home two gold medals.
Liu won the gold in the team event alongside Amber Glenn, Ilia Malinin, Ellie Kam, Daniel O’Shea, Madison Chock and Evan Bates.
She later took home the gold in the women’s figure skating free stake, defeating Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai, who ended up with the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Liu’s win marked the first time the U.S. won an individual women’s Olympic figure skating title since 2002.
Liu, however, didn’t seem to let the pressure or the big moment change who she was. In fact, the skater went viral after her individual win when she was seen asking, “Where’s my lipstick?” as she walked toward the podium.
The Olympian tracked down her signature lipgloss from Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty line and applied it before getting her medal and posing for photos.
“Congratulations @alysaxliu,” Gomez, 34, wrote via her Instagram Story in February, resharing the viral clip. The actress added a hand-heart emoji, writing, “(She’s just like me fr).”
