Team USA figure skating sensation and two-time Olympic champion Alysa Liu dropped a major career announcement on Tuesday evening. Liu, who won two gold medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, is taking a break from the ice.
Liu dropped a statement on social media, addressing whether she would be competing during the upcoming season.
After a whirlwind start to the year, Liu, who briefly retired from the sport after the Beijing Olympics before her triumphant return, needs a bit of a personal reset before she’s ready to return.
Liu explained her decision in a post titled, “To my supporters.”
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Alysa Liu Taking Time For ‘Personal Growth’Feb 21, 2026; Milan, Italy; Alysa Liu of the Untied States performs in the figure skating exhibition gala during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images“While people are announcing programs, imma take this time to announce that I will not be competing this season,” Liu wrote on Instagram. “I always want to challenge myself in new ways, so my artistry and skating can evolve.
“It’s important to me that my sport reflects my personal growth. I’m gonna take the time to recalibrate, fine-tune things and whatnot. So fear not, I’ll be back, and in the meantime I’ll be rooting for my teammates near and far.”
At the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, Liu won two gold medals, becoming the first American woman to win an individual medal since Sasha Cohen in 2006 and the first American gold medalist since Sarah Hughes in 2002.
Whenever Liu returns to the ice, you know she will be back better than ever. But, for now, let’s hope she enjoys the time away to regroup, after what was an exciting, yet chaotic and exhausting, start to the year.
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