The internet was charmed as figure skating favourite Alysa Liu made her way to the podium at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, clinching the gold medal for her home country, USA.
Donning a golden dress that matched her uniquely stripe-bleached hair, the 20-year-old World Champion made the crowd clap along to her Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park Suite” free skate routine.
But what cemented her legacy was not her bloodthirst for competition, but her radical choice to let go of the outcome and just “skate with joy,” something that is unheard of in the elite sports competition.
Time away from the rink
Crowned the US champion at the age of 13, Liu grew up inside rinks and results sheets, with her identity mostly tightly bound to podium finishes.
“I started when I was five, and I basically didn’t stop until (I was) 16,” Liu told NBC News in an interview.
This took a toll on Liu’s mental health, leading to an early retirement in 2022.
When she retired as a teenager, she left skating almost entirely, studying psychology at the University of California, backpacking with her friends, and rediscovering life beyond competition.
“It was so rewarding,” said Liu.
“I was finally able to hang out with my siblings, do stuff with them like a normal family, and attend my friends’ birthday parties.”
“I felt so human for the first time.”
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Road to Olympics gold
That distance was proven to be transformative for Liu.
When she returned to the ice two years later, it was on her own terms.
She limited training hours, took creative control over her music and costumes, and most importantly, reframed success: making the Olympic team and prioritising artistry over victory.
Free of visible tension, she waved to her fans and friends in the stands of the Milano Ice Skating Arena, smiled through her free skate programme and delivered a clean, expressive performance that earned her 226.79 points.
It was enough to surge past Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and claim the US’s first women’s Olympic skating gold title since 2002.
‘No way to lose’
“Being able to do it my way on the big stage has been my dream,” Liu told NBC News after her Olympic win.
When asked how she was able to overcome her nerves and skate with joy, Liu shared her optimistic mindset inside the rink.
“What I like to share about myself is my story, my art, and my creative process. I guess messing up doesn’t take away from that.”
“It’s still a story… And I think that’s beautiful, so there’s no way to lose.”
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