Olympics 2026: Figure Skater Alysa Liu Makes History as First U.S. Woman to Win Gold Medal in 24 Years

“They were, one, to compete at the Olympics,” she wrote in a since-deleted 2022 Instagram post, “and two, to have fun with my skating friends and everybody else and to have a good time during my journey as a skater. Those were the only two goals I had and once I met them, this year, I decided there was nothing else I wanted to do in skating.”

“Now that I’m done, I can have more time to see my friends and family, which is honestly what I want more than anything right now,” she continued. “I think I choose my friends and family over skating. At the same time, I feel like I did everything I wanted to do in skating. It feels not like a sacrifice–but more like I’m graduating.”