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Alysa Liu

NEW EXCLUSIVE
  • Two-Time Figure Skating Olympic Gold Medalist (Individual & Team)
  • World Figure Skating Champion (2025) & Two-Time U.S. Figure Skating Champion (2020 & 2019)
  • Author of One of the Most Remarkable Comebacks in Sports
  • Voice on Mental Health, Authenticity, and Performing on Your Own Terms

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Alysa Liu retired from figure skating at sixteen, returned years later for the joy of it, and ended up on top of the Olympic podium.

A certified prodigy who became the youngest U.S. Figure Skating Champion at just 13, Liu made the rare decision to walk away at the height of global attention. She chose college, anonymity, and distance from the pressure that had shaped her childhood. Stepping outside elite competition allowed her to rediscover something the sport often erodes: genuine joy.

When she returned two years later, the pressure was gone. So was the need to conform to a sport long defined by rigidity and perfectionism. Skating to disco with unmistakable joy and unapologetic individuality, Liu transformed elite competition into something audiences could feel. Her viral performances captured attention not just for technical brilliance, but for freedom rarely seen at the highest level.

The comeback became historic. Liu claimed the 2025 World Championship before delivering a performance for the ages at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, securing gold and becoming the first American woman in more than two decades to win the Olympic figure skating title.

On stage, Liu reflects on what changed when excellence was no longer driven by fear. She speaks openly about stepping away from expectation, rebuilding confidence outside competition, and returning with a healthier relationship to performance. Her story challenges the idea that pressure creates champions, proving that freedom can.

 

Alysa Liu headshot
US Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu talks after winning gold | WRAL - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Alysa Liu
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Winning Without Fear: Redefining Excellence on Your Own Terms

Olympic gold medalist ALYSA LIU shares the mindset shift that transformed her career. After stepping away from figure skating at sixteen and returning years later on her own terms, Liu discovered that the best performances come when fear is no longer driving the outcome. She reflects on pressure, id ...

Olympic gold medalist ALYSA LIU shares the mindset shift that transformed her career. After stepping away from figure skating at sixteen and returning years later on her own terms, Liu discovered that the best performances come when fear is no longer driving the outcome. She reflects on pressure, identity, and the freedom that comes from redefining success for yourself.

The Courage to Step Away

At the height of global attention, ALYSA LIU made the rare decision to leave her sport entirely. In this candid talk, she explores why stepping back can be one of the most powerful decisions a high performer makes. Liu discusses burnout, perspective, and how distance from expectations can create the ...

At the height of global attention, ALYSA LIU made the rare decision to leave her sport entirely. In this candid talk, she explores why stepping back can be one of the most powerful decisions a high performer makes. Liu discusses burnout, perspective, and how distance from expectations can create the clarity needed for the next chapter.

The Comeback Mindset

After years away from competition, ALYSA LIU returned to win the World Championship and Olympic gold. In this inspiring conversation, she explores what it really takes to rebuild confidence, navigate doubt, and compete again at the highest level. Her story offers a powerful perspective on reinventio ...

After years away from competition, ALYSA LIU returned to win the World Championship and Olympic gold. In this inspiring conversation, she explores what it really takes to rebuild confidence, navigate doubt, and compete again at the highest level. Her story offers a powerful perspective on reinvention and the courage to begin again.

Protecting Your Mind in a High-Pressure World

From global fame as a teenage skating prodigy to walking away from the sport entirely, Olympic gold medalist ALYSA LIU has experienced the emotional highs and pressures that come with elite achievement. In this candid conversation, Liu reflects on burnout, expectations, and the challenge of g ...

From global fame as a teenage skating prodigy to walking away from the sport entirely, Olympic gold medalist ALYSA LIU has experienced the emotional highs and pressures that come with elite achievement. In this candid conversation, Liu reflects on burnout, expectations, and the challenge of growing up in the spotlight. 

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Press & Media
Alysa Liu reflects on Olympic experience at Milan Cortina - NBC Olympics
The Alysa Liu Effect - The Atlantic
Alysa Liu Just Taught a Transcendent Lesson About Success. Everyone Should Pay Attention - Inc
Alysa Liu Decides Her Figure Skating Future at Olympic Closing Ceremony - Newsweek
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Ideas for the Meeting Planner
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Biography

Alysa Liu, 20, completed one of the most remarkable comebacks in figure skating history by winning gold at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, on February 19, 2026 less than two years after returning to the sport she once stepped away from.

Born on August 8, 2005, in California’s Bay Area, Alysa Liu began skating at five years old. Her extraordinary talent and composure quickly set her apart. In 2018, she burst onto the international scene by winning the U.S. Junior National Championship and made history at the Asian Open as the youngest skater ever to land a triple Axel in competition.

The following year, at only 13, Liu captured the U.S. National title, becoming the youngest woman ever to win the championship. Her victory was not only historic because of her age, but groundbreaking in its technical brilliance. She became the first American woman to land three triple Axels in a single competition, showcasing rare consistency with one of figure skating’s most difficult elements. Liu continued to push boundaries; in 2019, she became the first American woman to successfully land a quadruple jump in competition, a quad Lutz. In 2020, she successfully defended her national title, the youngest skater ever to win back-to-back U.S. Championships.

In 2022, at just sixteen years old, Liu placed sixth at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. One month later, she claimed bronze at the World Figure Skating Championships. Following that achievement, Liu announced her decision to retire from figure skating and attend UCLA.

Two years later, Liu announced her return to the sport—this time on her own terms, motivated purely by her love for skating. What followed was nothing short of extraordinary. In 2025, she captured the World Figure Skating Championship title on home ice in Boston, becoming the first American woman in nineteen years to win the World crown.

She continued her triumphant resurgence by winning the 2025 Grand Prix Final, solidifying her status as the favorite heading into the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games. In Milan, Liu played a pivotal role in leading the United States to gold in the Team Event. Then, in the women’s individual competition, she delivered a performance for the ages—capturing her second Olympic gold medal. With that victory, she became the eighth American woman to win the Olympic title and the first since 2002, cementing her legacy among the sport’s all-time greats.

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