“If I stayed in skating, I’d have regrets.” Those were the words Alysa Liu said when she retired at 16. At the time, the world knew her as the youngest U.S. national champion, a teenager who had already tasted Olympic ice at Beijing 2022, winning world bronze soon after. But Liu was mentally and physically exhausted. So, she made the shocking decision to retire. Three years later, she’s back, but what made her return to the rink?

Ironically, it wasn’t skating that pulled her back, but rather it was skiing. It all began in January 2024 when she skied for the first time and felt the rush right away: “It was my first time ever and so similar to figure skating. You’re cold, your legs are tired, your adrenaline is up, and you’re going really fast. And I loved it; I love to ski.”

That familiar mix of exhaustion and exhilaration made her question why she had walked away. “And I thought, huh, that’s weird. Why do I hate skating but love to ski? That doesn’t make sense. So I tested out my theory. I went to the rink. And I loved to skate.”

Just two months later, on March 1, 2024, Alysa Liu announced her comeback.

Liu shared a clip saying she was “back on the ice” for the 2024‑25 season, and U.S. Figure Skating confirmed she planned to compete again. And then, her crowning moment came in her very first season back when she delivered two clean programs at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, winning gold in front of a raucous home crowd with a total score of 222.97 points.

With that victory, Alysa Liu became the first American woman in 19 years to win a World Championship singles title, the last being Kimmie Meissner in 2006, when Liu was just one year old. She also edged out Kaori Sakamoto of Japan, who, after winning the last 3 world titles, had to settle for silver.

If that wasn’t enough, Liu topped it off by winning the Grand Prix Final in Japan earlier in the month, solidifying her status as a contender for Olympic gold, just one year after returning to the sport. What’s fueled her success is the “perspective” she gained during her time away, when she didn’t set foot onto the ice but did everything else, from trekking in the Himalayas to attending college at UCLA.

Reflecting on her World Champs win, she said, “Even now, I don’t have high expectations going into anything.  I just go with it. I like to stay very present in the moment because that’s what life is all about… Because when I was in skating, all I thought about was the future…When I’m going to retire, like dreaming of that life I will someday have. But I was so miserable in that.”

Now, Liu cuts a calm figure, on the ice and even in the kiss and cry. While her competitors battle through nerves, the reigning world champion is more zen, previously revealing that she had no set goals for her return except having programs and costumes she liked.

Now, with the Olympics looming, the next big competition for Liu is nationals. Her spot on the Olympic team is a near guarantee, but can Liu continue her golden run and win her third national title?

Alysa Liu is stepping up her game ahead of the Olympics

Alysa Liu is one of the biggest names to watch as the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis approach. This competition will determine who makes the Olympics, and Liu, reigning world champion and recent Grand Prix Final winner, is a lock, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Liu’s skating journey started at age five, when her father took her to the rink for fun. That first moment sparked a love for the ice that has lasted her entire life. By age 10, she was landing double Axels, a jump many skaters struggle with well into their teens. At 13, she became the youngest woman ever to win the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, even landing a triple Axel.

She continued to make history: the first American junior woman to land a triple Axel in international competition and the first U.S. woman to land a quadruple jump in competition.

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While Liu has since lost her quads after moving up to seniors, the triple Axel is another story. She didn’t attempt it last season or even this season, but earlier this month posted a video on her Instagram of a restored triple Axel. Not only did it look fully rotated, but Liu also performed it with a spread eagle entry, which would up her Grade of Execution score in competition.

It’s significant as her compatriot and rival Amber Glenn also jumps the triple Axel, though with no difficult transitions into the jump. Even more significant is the fact that a clean triple Axel could give Liu the edge over her international rivals like Kaori Sakamoto and Mone Chiba of Japan, who don’t jump Ultra-C elements but are in the mix for gold in Milan.

With Alysa Liu looking set to re-debut the jump in St. Louis, it adds yet another layer of intrigue to a women’s event that’s going to come right down to the wire in Italy. Can she land the triple Axel cleanly in competition? We will soon find out.