Alysa Liu Wins Historic Gold: Comeback Queen

RETURNING FROM RETIREMENT, THE 20-YEAR-OLD CAN’T SEEM TO STOP SMILING—AND NEITHER CAN ANYONE WHO WATCHES HER JOY ON THE ICE: ‘IT JUST COMES NATURALLY’

- JOHNNY DODD,RACHEL DESANTIS,NATASHA DYE,JULIE MAZZIOTTA

Heart of a Champion Liu (on Feb. 19) makes it look easy but tells People, "I'm really competitive with myself."

For someone who retired from competitive figure skating at just 16 after losing her “joy” and “passion,” 20-year-old Alysa Liu appeared to be overflowing with both as she glided through the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 19. Not long afterward a throng of reporters listened as one of the breakout stars of the 2026 Winter Olympics—with energy matched by an effervescent personal style, including a “smiley” piercing over her front teeth and two-tone blonde-brunette hair—talked about the biggest victory of her career. “I don’t need this,” said Liu, looking down at the gold medal dangling from her neck. “What I needed was the stage, and I got that, so I was all good no matter what happened.”