> At a Glance
> – Alysa Liu, 20, won gold at the 2025 World Championships after retiring at 16
> – She quit skating to reclaim her childhood, then returned in March 2024
> – Now controls her music, costumes, and training schedule
> – Why it matters: Her comeback story shows prioritizing mental health can fuel even greater athletic success
Four years after walking away from figure skating at 16, Alysa Liu is chasing Olympic glory again-this time with full control over her career and life.
From Burnout to Bronze to Breakthrough
Liu’s résumé was already elite when she retired in April 2022: Olympic sixth place, world bronze at age 16, global travel, Ralph Lauren campaigns, a Tonight Show spot. Yet she had never chosen her own program music or dress color. “I was literally just like a dress-up doll,” she told News Of Fort Worth.
Homeschooling, solo living near the Olympic Training Center, and year-round training erased birthdays, Christmases, and friendships. The isolation forced her choice.
> “I crave human connection,” Liu explained. “I was living by myself for many years, no family, no friends around, all for the sake of training.”
Life Off the Ice Recharged Her Drive
Post-retirement firsts filled 2022-23:
- First full week without training
- First vacation-Mexico with friends and family
- First driver’s license (so she could shuttle siblings to school)
- First birthday parties and holiday celebrations
She dubbed it her “normal, teenage-girl, older-sister life.”
A Ski Trip Sparked the Comeback
In January 2024, Lake Tahoe slopes reminded her how much she missed adrenaline. She announced her return in March 2024. The results were immediate:
| Event | Result |
|---|---|
| 2025 World Championships, Boston | Gold |
| 2025 ISU World Team Trophy | Gold (team) |
| 2025-26 Grand Prix Final, Nagoya | Gold |
Coach Phillip DiGuglielmo calls the reboot “Alysa 2.0.” She now:
- Picks every music cut-15 versions for this season’s free skate
- Approves each costume, sending dresses back for multiple alterations
- Sets her own training load
> “She has complete freedom to chime in and we respect that,” DiGuglielmo said. “She exercises her right all the time.”
Nerves? She Doesn’t Know Them
DiGuglielmo marvels at Liu’s composure: “She just doesn’t get nervous.” That calm powered two flawless performances in Boston, earning praise from veteran writer Philip Hersh:
> “I’ve seen very few other skaters ever top that,” Hersh noted.
The Road to Milan 2026
Liu, now 20, is widely expected to headline the U.S. squad for the Milan Cortina 2026 Games; selection ends after this week’s U.S. Championships.
Her 2022 Olympic sixth and world bronze already proved her podium potential. The recent gold streak shows she’s better technically and mentally.
Key Takeaways
- Liu stepped away to reclaim autonomy and relationships
- Her break included everyday teenage milestones she’d never experienced
- Returning on her terms produced international gold medals within a year
- She now drives every artistic and athletic decision
- A 2026 Olympic medal is the next-and fully self-chosen-goal
Skating no longer defines her worth; it amplifies her joy. “Oh, it’s fully for myself,” she said of this comeback. The ice is hers alone now.
