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Alysa Liu not only won gold — she did it on her terms
Liu became the first American woman to win gold in singles figure skating in more than two decades, capping a personal comeback that began when she walked away from the sport as a teen.
MILAN — When Alysa Liu retired from figure skating in 2022, it was to experience some of the simple things in life. Drive her siblings to school, take a vacation, hang out instead of practicing. Be a normal person.
On Thursday, she showed what makes her special.
Liu won gold in the women’s single skating event, becoming the first American woman to medal since 2006 and the first to win gold since 2002. What makes Liu’s win extra rewarding is not simply that she finished on the top of the podium, but that she did so after having taken control of her career when she returned to the sport two years ago.
“Being able to do it my way on the big stage like this has been my dream,” Liu told NBC News with her gold medal hanging from her neck. “And I got to do it in my tour. I got to do it in the team event, and I got to do it tonight for the free skate, and I'm going to do it again for the Olympic Gala. I'm just, like, over the moon. I'm the luckiest girl ever. And I'm really grateful.”
Gold medalist Alysa Liu of the United States during the medal ceremony for the women's single skating.Matthew Stockman / Getty Images
Liu gave an electric performance in the free skate, drawing both gasps of awe and raucous cheers from a crowd eager to watch her perform. She dazzled with an opening triple flip and nearly brought the house down when she flew from a triple loop into an effortless spin as her music took an upbeat swing.
Liu did it all with a megawatt smile beaming to the world. She finished with aplomb, emphasizing her joyous routine with a hair flip as she struck her final pose. It was quintessential Liu: skating with as much elation as brilliance.
“The thing is, what I like to share about myself is, my story, my art and my creative process,” Liu said about how she skates with so much joy. “And I guess messing up doesn't take away from that. It's still something. It's still a story. You know, a bad story is still a story. And I think that's beautiful. So there's no way to lose.”
Said her fellow "Blade Angel" Amber Glenn: “I’m so proud of her. The message that this is going to send to young athletes and parents alike that if you consider your mental health and treat it right, great things can happen.”
Liu competes in the women's single skating free skating.Elsa / Getty Images
Liu’s ability to skate with so much passion and connect with the audience was on full display during her gold medal free skate. According to one of her coaches, Philip DiGuglielmo, that’s a unique ability.
“What she does is she somehow, through her performance, invites you not just to be a spectator, but you are becoming an active participant in her performance,” DiGuglielmo said before the Olympics. “She pulls you out there on the ice with her. She skates with abandon, like it isn’t the most important part of her life.”
DiGuglielmo texted NBC after she won that he had been confident in her performance because "she does that program that way everyday in practice. When you are that prepared you can go out with confidence."
When Liu retired in 2022, it was because she wanted to do anything but skate. From ages 5 to 16, Liu’s life revolved around the ice. She missed out on time with her family and friends. She wore dresses other people chose for her. She felt she had to go to the Olympics out of duty for her younger self.
Liu, the gold medalist, and silver medalist Kaori Sakamoto and bronze medalist Ami Nakai of Japan celebrate on the podium during the medal ceremony.Jamie Squire / Getty Images
On Thursday, Liu won gold by skating out of pure joy, with her family in attendance and with a new dress she picked out herself and wanted to show off.
Asked what she was most looking forward to next, Liu wanted instead to stay in the moment, as a gold-medal figure skater.
“I’m looking forward to every moment,” she said. “But I’m present right now.”
