Alysa Liu Returns: Aiming for Gold at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - The world of figure skating has once again been rocked by the return of Alysa Liu, a talented young athlete from the United States, who is now targeting a gold medal at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

After shocking the public with her early retirement at the age of 16, Liu is back with renewed vigor and ambitious ambitions.

Her decision to return to competition has positioned her as a strong favorite to reach the top step of the podium at the sport's most prestigious event.

Since announcing her return to the arena in March 2024, she has rebuilt her program, remastered many difficult jumps, and even secured a world championship title in 2025.

No one knew what to expect when figure skater Alysa Liu started training again. https://t.co/N3cWF63QoL pic.twitter.com/1Ixe1sO2xt

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) January 5, 2026

Alysa Liu has officially declared her intention to return to competition, with the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan Cortina as her primary goal.

The Clovis, California native is in a strong position to secure a spot on Team USA for her second Olympic Games.

Since returning to full training in June 2024, Liu has shown significant progress. She has successfully rebuilt her program and regained many of her signature jumps.

After winning the world title in 2025, Alysa Liu is actively pursuing a spot on Team USA, demonstrating her seriousness in pursuing her Olympic dream.

In preparation, Alysa Liu is preparing her short program to the song "Promise" by Laufey, a choice expected to highlight her artistic side.

Meanwhile, her free program will be set to "McArthur Park" by Richard Harris, which is likely to showcase both technical complexity and deep emotional expression.

Before her early retirement, Alysa Liu had achieved many remarkable achievements that established her as one of the most promising talents in figure skating.

At 13, she became the youngest US women's national champion in 2019, a record she repeated in 2020.

Liu also made history as the first US woman to successfully land a quadruple jump (quad Lutz) in competition in 2019, a highly difficult and high-risk element.

Furthermore, she also became the youngest American athlete to land a triple Axel in competition at the age of 12.

Her international achievements include a bronze medal at the 2020 World Junior Championships.

At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Alysa Liu competed at the age of 16 and finished sixth, making her the highest-ranked American athlete in the women's singles event.

She also helped secure  a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships in Montpellier, France, becoming the first American woman to medal at a World Championships since Ashley Wagner in 2016.

On April 9, 2022, Alysa Liu made the surprising decision to announce her retirement from competitive figure skating via Instagram, at the age of 16.

In her statement, Liu expressed satisfaction with her career, feeling she had achieved her goals, including competing in the Olympics.

She expressed her desire to "move on with her life" and spend time with family and friends, as well as pursue other pursuits such as attending the University of California, Los Angeles (which is currently on hiatus) and obtaining her driver's license.

However, on March 1, 2024, Alysa Liu announced her intention to return to competition for the 2024-2025 season, marking a much-anticipated comeback.

Since returning to figure skating, Alysa Liu has demonstrated incredible dominance, proving her comeback was the right move.

She won a gold medal at the 2025 World Championships in Boston, a monumental achievement that made her the first American woman to win a world title in 19 years.

This victory was even called by Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano as "the greatest comeback in the history of the sport."

Furthermore, Alysa Liu also won a silver medal at the 2025 U.S. National Championships, demonstrating her consistency domestically.

Internationally, she won a gold medal at the 2025-26 Grand Prix Final, a major tournament that brings together the world's best skaters.

Other wins include a gold medal at the 2025 World Team Trophy, solidifying her position as a top skater.

In December 2025, Alysa Liu showcased a successful triple Axel in a training video.