Wonder Woman of the Week: Alysa Liu

At five years old, Alysa Liu stepped onto the ice, beginning a journey that would carry her from a California rink to the highest stage in figure skating. Even as a child, she displayed an unusual appetite for difficult jumps. At 12, she became the youngest American woman to land a triple Axel in competition; a year later, she became the youngest U.S. women’s national champion in history. In 2019, at just 13, Liu won her first national title, announcing herself as one of skating’s rare young talents.

Her rise was rapid, but the demands of elite sport came with a cost. Liu represented the United States at the 2022 Beijing Olympics at 16, finishing sixth in the individual event, then made a startling decision: she retired. For nearly two years, the ice disappeared from her life as she attended UCLA, traveled, and experienced a world beyond competition. Slowly, she rediscovered skating—not as an obligation, but as something she wanted to do. In 2024, Liu returned to competition, and in 2025 she won the World Championship, transforming an unlikely comeback into a new chapter.

Then came Milan. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Liu captured gold in women’s singles and helped the United States win team gold, becoming the first American woman in 24 years to win Olympic singles gold. Her victory was more than a collection of difficult jumps and precise spins. Liu skated with an ease and individuality that had been harder to find during her teenage years. Her distinctive style, relaxed presence, and willingness to shape her career on her own terms made her comeback as much a story about identity as athletic achievement.

For young girls watching from the edges of their own rinks, Liu offers a different kind of lesson. Greatness, her journey suggests, does not require surrendering who you are. She stepped away when skating no longer felt like her life, then returned when she was ready. Her story shows young athletes that ambition and self-discovery can exist together—and that changing direction is not failure. On the ice, Liu moves through the air with extraordinary power. Off it, her greatest influence may be the permission she gives the next generation to find their own way.