**Alysa Liu** is a 20-year-old American figure skater (born August 8, 2005) who's currently one of the biggest names in the sport. As of right now in February 2026, she's fresh off winning **gold medals** at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina—both in women's singles (the first U.S. woman to claim Olympic figure skating gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002) and in the team event.
She's had quite the trajectory: a child prodigy who became the youngest U.S. national champion ever at age 13 (in 2019), made history as the first American woman to land a quadruple jump and combine it with a triple Axel, won U.S. titles in 2019 and 2020, took bronze at the 2022 World Championships, placed sixth at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, then shocked everyone by retiring at just 16. After a couple years away (including attending UCLA, where she's studying psychology), she came back stronger—won the 2025 World Championships (first U.S. woman since 2006), dominated the Grand Prix circuit, and capped it with Olympic glory this month.
Her style stands out too: she's known for a more alternative vibe with streaked "halo" hair, a signature smiley lip piercing, bold makeup, and performances full of joy and fearlessness rather than the usual pressure-cooker intensity.
She's raised by her single dad, Arthur Liu (a Chinese-American attorney and former dissident), along with four younger siblings—all via surrogates. Her story gets framed a lot around intense early training, a burnout/retirement phase, and then a triumphant, more balanced comeback. Right now, she's basically the face of a healthier, happier era in women's figure skating.
