American · Oakland, California, USA · Born 8 August 2005American figure skater who came out of a two-year retirement to win Olympic gold in 2026, becoming the first American woman to top the podium in an individual event since 2002.
Alysa Liu was born on 8 August 2005 in Oakland, California, and became a prodigy early, landing a triple Axel at 12 to become the youngest skater in history to do so. In 2019, aged just 13, she became the youngest-ever U.S. women's national champion, going on to defend her title in 2020 and become the first American woman to land a quadruple jump in competition. Liu competed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, finishing sixth, and won World Championship bronze that year, but shocked the skating world weeks later by announcing her retirement at just 16, wanting to experience life beyond competitive sport. She stayed away for over two years before an unexpected return to training drew her back to competition in late 2024, and in March 2025 she won the World Championship in Boston, a stunning comeback that surprised even herself. Entering the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics as reigning World champion, Liu sat third after the short program before delivering a dazzling free skate to overtake three-time World champion Kaori Sakamoto and win gold, becoming the first American woman to win an individual Olympic figure skating medal since Sasha Cohen in 2006 and the first to win gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002. She also helped the United States win team gold at the same Games, and has become one of the sport's most prominent voices for artistic self-expression, describing her surprise comeback and Olympic triumph as 'round two' of her career.
Coming out of a two-year retirement to win the 2025 World Championship and 2026 Olympic gold, ending a 24-year American women's singles drought
How They Played
Technically pioneering jumper known for early quad and triple Axel attempts, evolved into a joyful, artistically expressive performer in her comeback era
Lasting Impact
Celebrated as one of the sport's most compelling comeback stories, and admired for prioritizing artistic self-expression over pure competitive pressure
Career Honours
- 2026 Olympic Gold Medal (individual and team)
- 2025 World Champion
- 2022 World Championship Bronze
- Youngest U.S. women's national champion in history (age 13)
American Athletes