After stepping away from figure skating at age 16, UCLA student Alysa Liu made a return to the sport and achieved gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Liu was part of Team USA’s “Blade Angels,” alongside fellow American skaters Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn. She competed in both the short program on Tuesday and the free skate on Thursday.
Liu’s victory marks the first time in 22 years that an American woman has won Olympic gold in women’s figure skating. The last U.S. champion was Sarah Hughes, who took gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, where Michelle Kwan—also a former UCLA attendee—won bronze.
Liu performed her routines without error at Milano Ice Skating Arena, securing her place atop the podium. “I’m really excited because my goal, honestly, is just to hype people up, give them an experience, whether it’s negative or positive,” she told “60 Minutes” earlier this year. “As long as people are feeling some strong emotions and anticipation, I’m fine with that.”
A native of Oakland, California, Liu retired after competing in the 2022 Beijing Olympics when she was just 16 years old. She had previously become the youngest-ever U.S. women’s national champion at age 13 and collected multiple titles before announcing her retirement.
Her decision to return followed a ski trip in early 2024. Recalling what drew her back to skating, Liu said: “Two years ago, I went on that ski trip, and I missed that jumping rush,” she told NBC.
This comeback saw Liu making choices independently regarding coaches and music selections for her routines. Her renewed approach led to a win at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston last March.
Taylor Swift narrated a promotional video ahead of this week’s competition: “Liu walked away from skating when she was 16, but then came back on her own terms.” Swift added: “Joy fuels her now. Every jump a celebration. Every performance a testament to the beauty of knowing yourself.”
In addition to her individual success, Liu also earned gold as part of Team USA in the team competition with Glenn; ice dancing pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates; skating pair Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea; and Ilia Malinin.
“It’s been such a treat,” Liu told NBC’s “Today” about winning team gold. “After having a COVID Olympics, this one definitely feels really different. And to be in the team event was extremely fun for me. I want to be in the team event every time now.”
