Alysa Liu reveals her plans after Olympic glory
Alysa Liu has made a surprising decision just months after reaching the biggest achievement of her career. The Olympic gold medalist is stepping away from competition for the upcoming season, but her latest announcement is not the end of her skating journey.
With a clear plan for what comes next, Liu is entering a new chapter that could shape her return to the sport. Here’s what she revealed about her decision and what lies ahead.
Her planned return is set for 2027-28
Liu has said she plans to return to competitive figure skating for the 2027-28 season. Her announcement makes clear that the current break is temporary rather than a new retirement.
She said she expects to resume competing after completing the work she wants to do during the break. Liu also told NBC Sports that she is trusting her instincts because stepping away currently makes sense.
Liu will continue working on her skating
Although Liu will not compete this season, she plans to keep training during the break. Her training focus includes overall artistry, spins, jumps, and other elements of her skating.
She said the goal is to improve her skills rather than prepare for immediate competition. Liu described the period as time to fine-tune her skating and continue developing as an athlete.
The decision follows an Olympic championship
Liu enters this break after winning the 2026 Olympic women’s singles title at the Milano Cortina Games. Her victory made her the first U.S. woman to win Olympic singles gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002.
Liu also helped the United States win gold in the Olympic team event. U.S. Figure Skating lists her as the 2026 Olympic champion and an Olympic team event gold medalist.
Her Olympic season capped a rapid comeback
Liu returned to competitive skating in 2024 after retiring in 2022. In her first season back, she won the 2025 World Championships women’s title in Boston.
She then won the 2025 Skate America title and the 2025 Grand Prix Final. Those results established her as one of the leading U.S. women heading into the 2026 Olympic season.
Liu had been scheduled for Skate America
Before announcing her break, Liu was assigned to compete at 2026 Skate America in Everett, Washington. The event is scheduled for November 13 through 15 and is part of the ISU Grand Prix.
U.S. Figure Skating announced Liu’s assignment in June as part of the American roster. Her decision to sit out means she will not take part in that planned Grand Prix appearance.
She will miss the main 2026-27 events
Liu’s decision means she will miss competitions during the 2026-27 season, including the U.S. Championships and World Championships. The 2027 U.S. Championships are scheduled for January 5-10 in Utah, while the 2027 World Championships are scheduled for March 17-21 in Tampere, Finland.
Those events are important stops in the annual figure skating calendar. Liu instead plans to spend the season training and preparing for her planned return during the 2027-28 season.
Her coaches support the decision
Liu discussed the decision with coaches Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali before announcing her plans. She said both coaches understood where she was coming from and did not believe she needed to justify her decision.
The pair remain part of Liu’s training team as she works on her skating. The International Skating Union lists DiGuglielmo and Scali as her coaches, with Scali also listed as her choreographer.
Interesting fact: The 2026–27 ISU Junior Grand Prix features seven events across Asia and Europe, with more than 300 young skaters from around 50 countries expected to compete.
Liu previously retired at age 16
This is not Liu’s first extended break from competitive skating. After competing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and winning a world bronze medal, she announced her retirement at age 16.
She stayed away from competition for about two years before returning in 2024. Her earlier retirement followed years of elite competition that began when she was a child and continued through her teenage years.
Interesting fact: The ISU doubled its annual skating prize money to $10.54 million starting with the 2026–27 season, giving athletes access to a significantly larger competition purse.
Her return changed her competitive path
After coming back, Liu rebuilt her competitive career with a different approach to training and competition. She won the 2025 World title less than a year after returning to top-level skating.
At the 2026 Olympics, she completed that comeback with individual gold and a team gold medal. Her results established the current chapter of her career before she chose to pause competition again.
Liu plans to support her teammates
During her season away, Liu said she will continue supporting her U.S. teammates. She told NBC Sports that she plans to cheer for her competitors and teammates while she is away from competition.
Several American skaters are scheduled to compete in the 2026 Grand Prix season. The announced Skate America lineup includes Olympic medalists Amber Glenn, Ilia Malinin and Jason Brown, along with other U.S. representatives.
The 2026-27 season will be a training year
Liu’s next season will focus on development rather than medals or placements. She has identified artistry, spins, jumps, and overall skating as areas she wants to refine before competing again.
Her stated goal is to return after that work is complete and continue her career in 2027-28. Until then, Liu has said she will keep training and supporting fellow skaters.
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Liu begins the next phase of her career
Liu’s announcement comes months after her Olympic victories and a major run of competitive success. She is now stepping away from competition while retaining a clear plan to return during the 2027-28 season.
The decision gives Liu a period for training and artistic development without competition. Liu has said she intends to return to competitive figure skating for the 2027-28 season after using the 2026-27 season to work on her skating.
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What do you think about Alysa Liu’s decision to take a season away from competition? Like this slideshow and comment your thoughts!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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