Unapologetically herself, Alysa Liu's Olympic comeback is golden

Editor's note: Alysa Liu won Olympic gold in women's figure skating

MILAN — Alysa Liu isn’t your typical figure skater. 

She doesn’t fit the prototypical personality of one, known for exuberating royal-like qualities to reflect the grace and elegance displayed on the ice. You’ll notice the halo rings in her hair, the upper frenulum piercing and youthful spirit. 

Think Mia Thermopolis in "The Princess Diaries," bringing her own style and shaking the status quo. "Unusual,” 1988 Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano said on USA TODAY’s Milan Magic podcast. A true alt-skater defying the norm.

Frankly, she doesn’t even know why she is the way she is.

"I don't know what's up with me,” Liu said. "They're gonna actually have to dissect my brain when I'm dead and figure me out.”

A one of a kind person, and one of a kind skater.

The 2026 Winter Olympics won’t be Liu’s first, but it will certainly be the first where she gets to do it her way. It took stepping away from the sport itself for Liu to find her true self. She did, and when she decided she wanted to skate again, brought along a newfound edge that has made this run enjoyable.

Fun, and she’s better than ever, capable of breaking the American women’s streak of 20 years without an Olympic medal, and so much more.

It was only a few months after the 2022 Winter Olympics when Liu decided she wanted to step away from figure skating. Having done it intensely from a young age under the guidance of her father, it was time at the age of 16.

"She became really unhappy,” said her father, Arthur Liu. "She avoided the ice rink at all costs. She's traumatized. She was just traumatized. She was suffering from PTSD and she wouldn't go near the ice rink.”

A full year went by without skating again, figuring Liu was done. Then a ski trip to Lake Tahoe, California in January 2024 changed everything. 

It wasn’t figure skating, but the adrenaline and cold rush of skiing reminded her of the sport. Something was unlocked, and Liu wanted to put the skates on – only this time on her terms.

That meant deciding when she would train and how she would do it. Picking the music to skate to and the costumes she wears. Liu wasn’t going to let anyone dictate how to do this. That time away really opened her eyes to what made her walk away from it, and skating wouldn’t be this competitive-driven ambition. Instead, it’s about being an artist.

"I learned that I really just want to make art and also look at other people's art and appreciate art honestly," Liu told USA TODAY Sports. "I learned what I like, what I don't like."

While it was all fine and dandy skating again, how would Liu be able to reach anything near the level she was at? This is someone that was a U.S. champion at age 13 and was a 16-year-old Olympian.

It baffled the minds of figure skaters, including 1976 Olympic champion Dorothy Hamill, who figured the layoff was way too long.

"In figure skating, if you take two weeks off, I could never do anything,” she said on Milan Magic podcast. "I could never take two weeks off."

Turns out, there was no problem. Liu’s first event was the 2024 Budapest Trophy, and she got first place. She finished second at the 2025 U.S. Championships, and then made the thunderous statement of winning the World Championship in March – one year after she announced her comeback.

The elite level of skating has persisted since then, winning the 2025 Grand Prix final before finishing second at the 2026 U.S. Championships. It was a no-brainer for her to be selected to the Milano Cortina team, completing the preposterous comeback.

For as much as quitting was “one of my best decisions ever,” returning was "also a really good decision.”

The unique personality of Alysa Liu

The success on the ice is beaming just as much as Liu herself. You don’t even need two minutes to realize how unique she is.

Liu is the definition of an extrovert. She’s all about having fun and taking part in endless activities. You may see her and wonder how she has so much energy and stays so positive all the time. For as much as skating is the center of her world, she loves being outside of it. She makes it known she’s far more than just a skater.

And when she’s talking, get ready to laugh. You never know what her answer will be to a question. It will be honest, but also the first thing on her mind and it may result in a conversation going off the rails. As Isabeau Levito said at the U.S. Championships, Liu "keeps the hoes on their toes."

It may come off odd, but it’s brought a new energy to the U.S. women’s team. There’s no hostility with Liu, Levito and Amber Glenn. She sees every skater as an artist and actively roots for them, regardless of her own standing.

You can believe Team USA’s "Blade Angels” will be actively rooting for each other, all wanting to not just break the 20 year drought, but achieve the dream of having the first American sweep at the podium.

If Liu isn’t receiving a medal, she’s cool with it. Yes, she was part of the gold medal-winning team event, but in the women’s singles, she really doesn’t mind not medaling. In fact, she’s fine with being dead last.

You really cannot bother a girl that thinks mistakes can be fun.

"Let's say I'm at the Olympics and I mess up on a jump, a few jumps or something, and I just totally do bad. No medal, bottom placement,” she said. "That just doesn't seem like a horrible situation. I'd still be okay with that."

There really is no scenario in which the Olympics isn’t an amazing time for Liu. When there’s so much pressure on the U.S. figure skaters to deliver, she doesn’t feel like there’s anything to lose. Her career only goes up from Milano Cortina, regardless of the result.

This isn’t about being the best in the world and winning everything. It’s about doing what you love and not letting anything block you from it.

"I'm really enjoying my time. I really value my training. That's kind of why I came back. I love training every day and putting my energy into something all the time,” Liu said. “There's not much to hate when it comes to my skating journey this time around."

Yes, she is no stranger to the Winter Olympics stage, but it is practically a new person showing up on the ice. Liu was a child then, yet she’s far more than just an adult now. 

She has grown into a sharp and graceful skater that is having a blast doing it. But most of all: she is unapologetically herself, ready to showcase the one-of-a kind style that blends with the carefree, goofy nature. 

Unusual, but it’s a recipe that could make for a golden trip to Milano Cortina.

USA TODAY Sports reporter Josh Peter contributed to this report.