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Alysa Liu has been familiar with the ice since she was 5, but the Olympian did something not many figure skaters have done: she took a break. The 20-year-old Team USA gold medalist briefly retired from competitive sports when she was a teenager, and her comeback story has been one for the ages! So, why did Alysa leave skating in the first place?
Hollywood Life has the full breakdown of Alysa’s retirement, return to competiton and her life off the ice below.
How Old Was Alysa Liu When She Retired From Figure Skating?
Alysa retired from competitive figure skating in 2022 shortly after competing in the Beijing Olympics. She was 16 at the time.
Two years later, when she was 18, Alysa returned to the ice and was selected to compete in her second Olympics at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.
Why Did Alysa Liu Leave Skating?
Alysa briefly retired from competitive figure skating due to burnout and a desire to explore more in life off the ice. In a since-deleted Instagram post, the 2025 World Champion announced her retirement.
“I started skating when I was 5, so that’s about 11 years on the ice, and it’s been an insane 11 years,” she explained at the time in her caption, according to TV Insider. “I made the decision for myself a while ago, way before the Olympics. My only goal was to go to the Olympics. I’m only 16. I want to do other stuff.”
In other interviews, Alysa said she wanted to go to school and make memories with her friends and family rather than eat, sleep and breathe the sport, as is expected with athletes.
Alysa’s dad, Arthur Liu, also discussed his daughter’s decision to take a break from the sport. According to USA Today, Athur said Alysa “became really unhappy” with competing as a young adult.
“She avoided the ice rink at all costs. She’s traumatized,” Arthur said, per the outlet. “She was just traumatized. She was suffering from PTSD, and she wouldn’t go near the ice rink.”
What Made Alysa Liu Come Back to Skating?
In March 2024, Alysa announced her comeback to competitive skating, and she shared what inspired her to return in an Instagram post: a ski trip!
“I hadn’t felt that adrenaline rush, I guess, since I’d quit skating,” she explained. “It feels so similar to skiing. And so, after I skied, I was like, ‘Wait, let me get on the ice and see what it feels like.’”
