For Alysa Liu, stepping away from figure skating has never simply meant leaving the ice. At 16, she walked away after years of pressure had drained her love for the sport. Four years later, she returned with a different perspective and went on to become a world and Olympic champion. Now, after one of the biggest seasons of her career, Liu is choosing to step back once again.

The 21-year-old announced Tuesday on Instagram that she will sit out the entire 2026-27 figure skating season, despite being assigned to compete at two stops on the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix circuit: Cup of China in October and Skate America in November. Her announcement comes just over a month after she won the ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete on July 15.

“While people are announcing programs, imma take this time to announce that I will not be competing this season,” she wrote in her message to fans. I always want to challenge myself in new ways, so my artistry & skating can evolve. It’s important to me that my sport reflects my personal growth. I’m gonna take the time to recalibrate, fine-tune things & whatnot. So fear not, I’ll be back.”

But this isn’t retirement; far from it. And for anyone worried that history might repeat itself, Liu made one thing clear: she plans to return for the 2027-28 season. Meanwhile, she added that she would be cheering for her teammates while she is away.

At the 2026 Milan Cortina Games in February, Liu became the first American woman in 24 years to win Olympic women’s singles gold. Her fans want her to repeat a similar feat two years later on home soil. So, will this break help her rejuvenate and come back stronger next year? Time will tell!

But Liu hasn’t been completely hush-hush about her plans for this break. She told NBC Sports that she wants to improve “overall artistry, spins, jumps, everything.” Her coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali, were also involved in the decision and supported her choice.

“Logically and emotionally and physically, this just makes the most sense,” Liu said. That mindset is a long way from where she was as a teenager.

Taking a Look at Alysa Liu’s Incredible Journey

Alysa Liu became the youngest U.S. women’s national champion at just 13 in 2019, then defended her title the following year. By 2022, she had made the Beijing Olympic team and finished among the top Americans before earning a World Championships bronze medal.

Yet behind those accomplishments, Liu was struggling. She later recalled becoming really unhappy in the lead-up to the Beijing Games. Skating had consumed virtually every part of her life, and she eventually realized she no longer wanted it.

After Beijing, Liu retired at 16. “I really hated skating when I quit,” she later admitted.

For the next two years, she built a life away from the rink. At UCLA, she studied psychology, traveled, hiked to Mount Everest base camp, and discovered interests that had little to do with competition. Then, during a ski trip to Lake Tahoe in early 2024, something unexpectedly clicked.

The feeling of moving freely down the mountain reminded her of what she once loved about skating. Still, Liu didn’t rush back.

She began with public skating sessions, initially going only once every couple of weeks. Gradually, those sessions became weekly. The difference was that this time, skating belonged to her. “I didn’t hop back into it right away. I eased my way back in,” she said.

The comeback quickly became something much bigger.

Liu returned to competition during the 2024-25 season and stunned the skating world by winning the 2025 World Championships, becoming the first American woman to claim the title since Kimmie Meissner in 2006. Then came Milan.

After sitting third following the short program at the 2026 Olympics, Liu delivered a spectacular free skate featuring seven clean triple jumps. Neither Kaori Sakamoto nor Ami Nakai could catch her, and suddenly the teenager who had once walked away from skating was an Olympic champion.

She went on to add another gold medal in the mixed team event. The victory also completed an extraordinary circle. Liu had once questioned whether the Olympics were truly her dream or simply a dream others had placed on her shoulders. In Milan, she finally seemed to own the answer.

“Really, the only word that comes to mind when I think about my entire journey is grateful,” Liu said Tuesday.

Now comes another pause. But this time, it is a choice made by an athlete who knows herself better.

Liu will miss the Grand Prix season, including her scheduled appearance at Skate America in November. She will, however, remain connected to the sport and her teammates.