Olympic Champion Alysa Liu to Sit Out Season After Milan Gold
The Olympic figure skating champion says she needs time to grow as an artist but promises she will return to competition.
Olympic figure skating champion Alysa Liu is taking the season off following her triumph at the Milan Winter Games, she announced on Instagram late Tuesday.
"While people are announcing programs, imma take this time to announce that I will not be competing this season," Liu wrote. "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, & in the meantime I'll be rooting for my teammates near & far."
The 21-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area made history in February when she became the first American woman since Sarah Hughes in 2002 to win Olympic gold in singles figure skating. She also became the first women's skater to win two golds at a single Olympics after helping the U.S. defend its team title.
Liu's Olympic triumph capped a remarkable comeback. She had abruptly walked away from the sport after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, burned out by its demands and with no plans to return. She came back in 2024 with a renewed outlook that carried her to the Olympic title.
Taking a season off after the Olympics is common among top skaters; French skater Lorine Schild announced a similar break last week.
The figure skating season has already begun with lower-tier events, but marquee competition starts with the first Grand Prix stop in late October in Angers, France. Liu had been scheduled to open her season alongside two-time defending champion Amber Glenn at Skate America on November 13 in Everett, Washington, and to compete with Olympic teammate Isabeau Levito at the Finlandia Trophy the following week.
Glenn responded to Liu's announcement on Instagram: "Taking time so you can live life to the fullest and do things your way ... Love you girl."
Liu is a two-time U.S. national champion who finished second to Glenn the past two years. In 2025 she became the first American woman to win a world title since Kimmie Meissner in 2006, though she skipped defending it this year after her Olympic win.
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