Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu is taking the 2026-27 figure skating season off from competition and plans to return for the 2027-28 season, she announced on social media.
In her post, Liu wrote: “While people are announcing programs, imma take this time to announce that I will not be competing this season. 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. See yall soon!!”
In an interview, Liu elaborated on her decision, saying she plans to continue training during the break and work on her craft — “overall artistry, spins, jumps, everything.” She added, “I really want to improve my skating, and I wanted to take the time to do that for myself and just to evolve, and then I’ll be back after that is done. But I’ll still be cheering on all my competitors and my teammates, and I’m really excited.”
The 21-year-old explained that the decision felt right on multiple levels. “Logically and emotionally and physically, this just makes the most sense,” she said. Liu also noted that she assessed how she felt earlier this summer, saying, “I just felt this was right. So I’m trusting my instincts.”
Her coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali, were part of the decision-making process. “I came to them, and they totally understood where I was coming from,” Liu said. “I did have to explain a little bit, but they didn’t think I needed to justify my reason for it or anything. So it was really chill.”
Liu, who turned 21 in August, became the first American woman to win Olympic singles gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002 when she prevailed in Milan in February. She also became the first U.S. women’s singles skater to win a world title since Kimmie Meissner in 2006, taking the crown in 2025. However, she missed the World Championships in March after that win.
The Olympic triumph was followed by a busy off-ice schedule, including a homecoming celebration in Oakland where nearly 5,000 people turned out and Mayor Barbara Lee presented her with a key to the city. Liu also attended the Met Gala wearing Louis Vuitton. She performed with her Olympic teammates on the Stars on Ice tour in April and May.
Liu’s career has been marked by unconventional twists. She became the youngest U.S. women’s champion at age 13, when her 4ft 6in frame left her too short to reach the top of the podium without help from other medalists. The intense training and attention that followed gradually drained her enthusiasm, leading her to retire at 16, months after finishing sixth in her Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Games.
Reflecting on that period, Liu said in the run-up to the Milano Cortina Olympics: “I really hated skating when I quit. I didn’t care about competitions. I didn’t care about places. I didn’t care about skaters. I didn’t care about my programs. I just wanted to get away.”
During her retirement, Liu enrolled at UCLA, studied psychology, and went hiking in the Himalayas with friends. Her desire to skate returned unexpectedly during a ski trip to Lake Tahoe. She began skating once a week at public sessions in El Segundo, California, and found that difficult jumps had not entirely deserted her.
Her comeback was made with greater control over her music, costumes, diet, and training schedule. Initially, her ambition was simply to make another Olympic team and use the sport as self-expression. That journey culminated in her winning gold in the Olympic team competition as well as the individual title.
Liu had been scheduled to compete at Saatva Skate America from Nov. 13-15 in Everett, Washington, but will now sit out that event. She said she will remain supportive of her teammates, adding, “I’ll still be cheering on all my competitors and my teammates.”