The GIST: For the first time in 24 years, an American woman has won individual Olympic figure skating gold: Former retiree Alysa Liu rose to the occasion yesterday, clinching the title with a breathtaking freeskate. Grab some tissues because this story’s inspiring as heck.
👏 Liu tops the podium two years after un-retiring: A child figure skating prodigy, Liu said goodbye to the sport at 16 years old following her Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Games, where she finished sixth. Suffering from serious burnout, Liu gave up skating entirely, but two years later, she called her former coaches and plotted a return — this time, on her terms.
- Now 20, Liu just pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in American sporting history, from her surprise 2025 World Championships win to yesterday’s head-first, fearless gold medal–winning free skate.
- But perhaps what’s been most impressive about Liu’s journey is that it was never about winning. For Liu, competing in another Olympics was about staying present in the moment and skating with joy — the medal was a bonus.
☝️💐 One more thing: We’d be remiss not to mention Liu’s teammate, Amber Glenn. Ahead of Tuesday’s short program, it was Glenn and her impressive triple axel — not Liu — who was favored to win gold, but a jumping error cost her a spot on the podium and landed her in 13th place heading into the medal round.
