She was a skating wunderkind, winning the U.S. Nationals at age 13 and becoming the first female skater to land a triple Axel and a quadruple jump in one program. When she was 16, she retired from skating after competing at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and taking a World bronze medal. Two years later she decided to start a comeback and less than a year after that she won the World title at the ISU World Championships 2025 in Boston. This is the incredible story of Alysa Liu (USA) and she writes the next chapter this season.  

Alysa Liu (USA) qualified for her first ISU Grand Prix Final in the 2025/26 season © ISU

Liu, now 20, won her first medals, first silver at the Cup of China in Chongqing and then gold at Skate America in Lake Placid, on the ISU Grand Prix this season and qualified for the ISU Grand Prix Final for the first time at the senior level. As a junior, she competed in the Final in 2019, taking silver. To her, it seems like that happened in a different life. “Oh, I went to the Grand Prix Final? As a junior? I can't remember,“ she said, laughing.

Becoming the youngest U.S. Champion, the youngest to land a triple Axel in international competition, the first woman to do a quad and a triple Axel in the same program, even winning a World bronze medal in her debut in 2022 … all these achievements seem far away for Liu. “In general, that time feels like I’m reading a book about a person. I know it’s about me, but somehow it doesn’t feel that way. It’s like I’ve already lived many lives,“ she said. 

"I'm more than just figure skating" 

Figure Skating is now just one of many passions and interests in Liu’s life and that is why she can enjoy it without pressure. 

“I don't really think about (being the), World Champion,” she noted. “It's not that I forget it, I just don't think about it. If you mean a World Champion should win every competition, I don't get that either. Because I know I'm not going to win every competition. I know I'm going to do bad at some competitions.

“To be honest there's so many like bigger things in life and I have so many other passions,” she continued. “I'm obviously more than just figure skating and every athlete is that as well. One day they have to stop their sport or they're not going to be as involved in it and they're going to have something else but I kind of feel that now I guess. Even when I came back, I knew that I'm so much more interested in things outside of figure skating.”

Alysa Liu (USA) has many interests outside of figure skating © ISU

In May 2023, a year after announcing her retirement from skating, Alysa went on an exciting and demanding hiking trip to the Mount Everest base camp with her best friend and her friend’s mother. She still feels it was the best trip she has done so far.

Alysa is an university student now and has started to study psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. “I chose psychology because I find people and their minds fascinating,” she explained. 

“There are many goals I have that have nothing to do with skating. But I think you should only talk about plans or specific projects once you’ve really started and they’ve become concrete. Otherwise, it feels kind of wrong. So I’ll keep some of them to myself,” the 20-year-old pointed out. “But one thing I definitely love and want to keep doing is design. I love fashion, sports, and art. And I think figure skating wonderfully combines all of that.”

 Alysa Liu (USA) and coaches Phillip DiGuglielmo (left) and Massimo Scali react to her score at the ISU Grand Prix Cup of China  © ISU

Alysa’s fun and laid-back personality shines through at every competition. Who climbs over the boards at the award ceremony to pick up a flower crown for a competitor that did not make it to the ice? Alysa. Who hopes to get to the ice cream shop in town before it closes after the event? Alysa. Who might get lost first when sightseeing? Alysa (according to some teammates) ...

"My Short Program explains my life very well" 

The next step on the road for Liu is the ISU Grand Prix Final. The Californian is looking forward to coming to Japan again after enjoying the ISU World Team Trophy last spring. Liu also hopes to present her new Lady Gaga Free Skating that she decided to re-work after debuting it at Lombardia Trophy. 

“No that’s confirmed I'm going to the Grand Prix Final, I do really want to have my Lady Gaga program ready for that,” she said in Lake Placid. “But if my dress and stuff isn't ready by then, I don't want to do it. We've been working on the choreography because we have a pretty good blueprint of the music. The choreography is basically done, but as for the whole concept, not quite,” she explained.

Alysa Liu (USA) kept her Short Program to "Promise" but is preparing a new Free Skating to music by Lady Gaga © ISU 

Liu decided to keep her emotional Short Program to “Promise” from last season. She still enjoys skating it and connects with it very well.

“I guess it just always feels fresh because it's a pretty timeless program,” she noted. “I feel like it explains my life very well. Even though it's a new season, it still feels like the same. I don't really separate my life into chapters, I just have my life. Of course, there are eras, but I'm still in the same era as last season. I think that's why I still feel connected to it. Honestly, I can't imagine not being connected to it. It's just so like me now.”