In a decision that surprised no one, Alysa Liu withdrew from the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague. The 20-year-old won not one but two Olympic gold medals in Milan and was set to represent Team USA at the event alongside Amber Glenn. However, this simply comes on the back of Liu’s promise to herself, as she revealed in an interview, to do things her way. And that’s exactly what the young star has been doing at a major international event in Paris.

Days after her withdrawal from the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships, the Louvre held Louis Vitton’s fall 2026 show. And among the usual suspects of celebrities and influencers, there was Alysa Liu, enjoying herself in her latest public appearance. The 20-year-old has enjoyed an interesting time post the Milano Cortina games, with appearances on various shows.

That includes a quick appearance on The Tonight Show and the Today Show while meeting Daniel Radcliffe and a host of other celebrities. And Liu added to her list at the Louis Vitton show as she mingled and posed for photographs during her appearance. That includes a now viral video of her and actor Zendaya posing together before onlookers spotted the two having a conversation.

All this, however, comes on the back of Alysa Liu’s withdrawal from the worlds, a decision she wasn’t sure about a few days ago. During her visit to the Rockefeller Center, Liu spoke about how she wanted to participate in the event but was yet to “fully decide if I’m going to do it”. She has since withdrawn, and Sarah Everhardt replaced her after Bradie Tennell declined the spot.

Further opening up about it on her IG story earlier this week, she wrote, “Hellooo as some of yall already know, I withdrew from Worlds. There’s been a lot of exciting things happening since my return from Milan, so I’m taking some time for that. I will be cheering everyone on from afar. see yall next season!!”

Everhardt will join Liu’s Olympic teammates Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito when the worlds begin from March 24th onwards. And Liu won’t be the only major name not participating, as Japan’s Olympic pairs champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara won’t be there. Not only that, Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii, alongside Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx, also won’t be participating.

Alysa Liu opens up on her return to skating

That’s because it’s common for Olympic athletes to skip the following world championship, as many choose to begin their offseason early. But for Alysa Liu, it’s something she promised herself after she returned to the sport. The 20-year-old retired for two-years after the 2022 Olympics before making her comeback after being inspired by a ski trip.

“It was in 2024, January. I’d never been skiing, and I loved it so much,” Liu told Rolling Stone. “It’s so similar [to skating]. You’re cold, you’re gliding, you’re going fast. And the adrenaline rush I felt was unlike anything else since I had quit. I wanted to do it more often. But the mountains are far [from where I live], and the ice rink is right there.

“So that week, I went to the rink with my best friend and stepped on for an hour. And it was a lot of fun. Then a couple of weeks later, I went again, and I was like, “Oh, this is even more fun.””

That soon escalated into going a few times a week during the summer before she eventually decided to make her comeback. However, even if she was a child star, it took time before Alysa Liu could compete again, although she admitted that she “was better in some ways”. And less than nine months after her comeback, Liu became the first American since 2006 to win worlds when she won the 2025 World Championship.

But Liu won’t be there to defend her title at the 2026 World Championships, leaving that up to her Team USA teammates. However, she’s clearly enjoying her time off, hoping to return refreshed and ready to compete again.