Fresh off a historic double gold performance at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, 21-year-old American figure skating star Alysa Liu has announced she will step away from competitive competition for the 2026-27 season to refine her craft, a decision that pauses her dominant run just months after her career-defining Olympic victory.
Liu made history at this year’s Milano Cortina Games, becoming the first American woman since 2002 to claim Olympic gold in the women’s singles event. She also added a second gold medal to her collection as a key contributor to Team USA’s win in the Olympic team event, capping a remarkable comeback story that began four years earlier.
In a public Instagram post shared with her fans, Liu explained her choice to pause competitive play, emphasizing her commitment to personal and artistic growth within the sport. “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,” she wrote. “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 break means Liu will not compete at the upcoming 2027 World Figure Skating Championships scheduled for March in Finland. In a subsequent interview with U.S. broadcaster NBC, Liu expanded on her reasoning, noting the decision aligns with her logical, emotional, and physical needs as an athlete. “Logically and emotionally and physically, this just makes the most sense,” she said. “I will miss seeing the international competitors at all the international (competitions), but there will be more, so it’s fine.”
This planned hiatus is not the first time Liu has stepped away from competitive skating, a path that has been marked by early prodigy success and unexpected turns. A once-in-a-generation young talent, Liu made history in 2019 when she became the youngest U.S. national champion in history at just 13 years old. In a shock announcement that stunned the figure skating world in 2022, the 16-year-old Liu announced her full retirement from the sport. But her love for skating brought her back to competition in a sensational comeback: she claimed the world championship title in her first season back, before parlaying that momentum into Olympic gold in 2026.