With halo-striped hair, a Lady Gaga soundtrack, and a fresh perspective, a familiar face has graced the ice. World-renowned figure skater Alysa Liu is back and Olympics-bound.
After retiring in 2022, the 20-year-old figure skater has returned to the ice with new moves and a new mindset.
Alysa first set foot on the ice at only five years old, when her father took her to the Oakland Ice Center, located in Oakland, CA. Her father, Arthur Liu, despite having no previous involvement with figure skating, quickly recognized his daughter’s aptitude and interest in the sport and encouraged her to continue skating. Through the years, Arthur continued to nurture Alysa’s talent by flying her to other countries, such as Japan and Canada, to learn from top figure skating coaches. Arthur estimates that, in total, he has spent $500,000 to $1 million to further his daughter’s career.
“I just saw the talent,” he said in an interview with CBS News.
Alysa soon began to ice skate professionally. At only 11 years old, she became the 2016 U.S. intermediate champion. Two years later, she became the youngest-ever national figure skating champion.
At the time, Russia, historically a top Olympic figure skating country, was a strong contender for the 2022 Winter Olympics figure skating competition, and Alysa, recognized for her talent, became a symbol of hope for the future of American Olympic figure skating.
However, despite the U.S.’s high expectations, Alysa was burnt out. Between ages 13 and 14, she spent most of her time skating, leaving little time for other activities.
So, when COVID-19 hit in 2020, Alysa was relieved. With ice skating rinks shut down, she was unable to skate, allowing her to take a break from the daily pressure and relentless nature of her sport.
“Honestly, I was hoping the rinks wouldn’t open,” Alysa said.
But, to her disappointment, the rinks soon reopened, and she returned to the ice.
In 2022, Alysa competed in the Beijing Winter Olympics, placing sixth in the Women’s Singles event.
Shortly after her run at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Alysa, to the surprise of many, announced her retirement via Instagram.
“…I feel so satisfied with how my skating career has gone. Now that I’m finally done with my goals in skating, I’m going to be moving on with my life,” Alysa said via Instagram. “…this skating thing has taught me a lot more about life than I anticipated. I’m really glad I skated.”
While Alysa had been planning her retirement for nearly a year, the announcement came as a shock to much of the figure skating community. At only 16, Alysa was still widely considered to be in the beginning stages of her career, with most female figure skaters retiring in their early to mid-20s.
During her retirement, Alysa got her driver’s license, trekked to Everest Base Camp, and spent significant time with her friends, all things she had little time for before retirement.
“I was able to give more to the people I loved, because as a skater, I wasn’t able to. I was finally able to hang out with my siblings, do stuff with them like a normal family, and attend my friends’ birthday parties,” Alysa said in an interview with NBC News. “…I felt so human for the first time.”
Despite her enjoyment of “normal life,” Alysa, nearly two years after her retirement, felt a familiar pull towards skating again.
Secretly returning to the ice, Alysa laced up her skates.
“I wasn’t planning to return to competition at this point,” Alysa said in an interview with CBS News. “I just wanted quick hits of dopamine, basically.”
However, despite her initial plan to stay away from competitive skating, Alysa soon found herself missing aspects of competition.
So, hungry for more, Alysa contacted two of her former coaches, Massimo Scali and Phillip DiGuglielmo, to notify them of her plan to return to the ice. While at first they were reluctant, expressing their many hesitations, both coaches finally relented and returned to coach Alysa, surprised at how fast she readapted to the ice.
This time, Alysa, now 18, was determined to chart her own course. In the past, she had little influence over aspects of her performances, such as her program music, costumes, and coaches. But this time, she set new rules, which she made clear to both her father and her coaches.
“I get to pick my own program music. I get to help with the creative process of the program,” Alysa said in a CBS News interview. “If I feel like I’m skating too much, I’ll back down. If I feel like I’m not skating enough I’ll ramp it up. No one’s gonna starve me or tell me what I can and can’t eat.”
Alysa is skating to her own beat now, with artists like Lady Gaga and Laufey serving as musical backing to her performances. Her costumes are of her own choosing, and she collaborates with her coaches on all choreography and performance decisions.
“Moments like these made me realize 16-year-old me was so right. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t decide to retire for a little bit,” Alysa said in an ESPN interview.
On Jan. 9, Alysa performed a free skate in the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, securing a silver medal and a spot on the 2026 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team.
Now, heading into her second Winter Olympics, Alysa’s primary goal is to spark her audience’s emotions and, most importantly, to have fun on the ice.
“Actually I’m really excited, because my goal is just to hype people up, give them an experience, whether it’s negative or positive. As long as people are feelin’ some strong emotions and anticipation, I’m fine with that,” Alysa said in a CBS interview.
Win or lose, Alysa is ready to show the world what she can do when skating on her own terms, and she might just inspire other young athletes to do the same.
