MILAN, Italy — Standing atop the podium at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Thursday, February 19, 2026, Alysa Liu didn’t just look like an Olympic champion—she looked like a woman who had finally found herself.
Dressed in a shimmering, gold-sequined outfit that caught every ray of the arena’s spotlights, the 20-year-old American beamed as the “Star-Spangled Banner” played in her honor. For Liu, the victory was the culmination of a journey that defied every traditional narrative in the rigid world of figure skating: a story of a child prodigy who walked away, a teenager who found peace at Mount Everest, and a woman who returned to the ice strictly on her own terms.
With a career-best score of 226.79, Liu secured the gold medal in the women’s singles event, becoming the first American woman to win the Olympic title in 24 years. Not since Sarah Hughes’ stunning upset in Salt Lake City in 2002 had a U.S. woman stood on the highest step of the podium. In doing so, Liu joined the most exclusive sorority in American sports, alongside legends like Dorothy Hamill, Peggy Fleming, and Kristi Yamaguchi.
A Performance for the Ages
Entering the free skate in third place after a poised short program, Liu trailed Japan’s rising star Ami Nakai and the three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto. While the pressure of a 24-year drought hung over the U.S. figure skating delegation—particularly after teammates Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito fell out of podium contention earlier in the week—Liu appeared remarkably unbothered.
Skating to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park Suite,” a high-energy disco-inspired program she chose to reflect her new “fun” approach to the sport, Liu delivered a masterclass in technical precision and infectious joy. She landed seven clean triple jumps, including a difficult triple Lutz-triple loop combination that has become her trademark.
As the music reached its crescendo, the Milanese crowd rose to its feet. When she struck her final pose, Liu didn’t collapse in tears or gasping for air; instead, she let out a triumphant shout and playfully flicked her ponytail—which featured the “halo” stripes she has become famous for.
“My program is very fun and I feel really confident,” Liu said afterward, still radiating energy. “And this is my favorite dress of all time, so that’s kind of big. It matches my hair!”
The hair in question—dark brown with bright, bleached “halo” rings—has been a project three years in the making. Liu explained that she adds a new ring for every winter she has spent back in the sport. For the 2026 Games, she opted for a brighter tone to match the gold of her dress, a visual representation of her growth and her autonomy.
The Road Back from “Hating” the Sport
To understand the magnitude of Thursday’s win, one must look back to the 2022 Beijing Olympics. At just 16, Liu was already a veteran of the sport, having become the youngest U.S. national champion in history at age 13. But behind the smiles and the history-making quadruple jumps, she was miserable.
“I hated skating; like I lowkey really hated it,” Liu admitted in a recent interview. Shortly after winning a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships, she shocked the skating world by announcing her retirement.
During her two-year hiatus, Liu lived the life of a “normal” teenager. She enrolled at UCLA to study psychology, spent time with friends, and traveled the world—even trekking to the base camp of Mount Everest. It was during a casual skiing trip that the “itch” returned. She realized that movement and competition could be fun when it wasn’t a requirement for her identity.
Returning in 2024, “Liu 2.0” was different. She took full artistic control of her programs, worked with her old coaches Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali, and prioritized her mental health over the judges’ scorecards. That shift in perspective led her to a World Championship title in Boston in 2025 and, ultimately, to Olympic gold in Milan.
The “Blade Angels” and a New Era
While Liu took the individual glory, she was quick to share the moment with her teammates. Dubbed the “Blade Angels” by fans, the trio of Liu, Amber Glenn, and Isabeau Levito brought a sense of camaraderie rarely seen in the high-stakes world of U.S. figure skating.
Earlier in the week, Liu and Glenn helped lead the United States to a gold medal in the team event. On Thursday night, despite their own individual disappointments, Glenn and Levito were the first to embrace Liu as her winning score flashed on the screen.
“I think my story is more important than anything to me,” Liu said, reflecting on her journey. “I don’t need this [the medal], but what I needed was the stage, and I got that.”
A Legacy Cemented
By winning gold, Alysa Liu ends one of the longest dry spells in U.S. Olympic history. She is now one of only eight American women to ever win the individual Olympic title:
| Year | Athlete | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Tenley Albright | Cortina d’Ampezzo |
| 1960 | Carol Heiss | Squaw Valley |
| 1968 | Peggy Fleming | Grenoble |
| 1976 | Dorothy Hamill | Innsbruck |
| 1992 | Kristi Yamaguchi | Albertville |
| 1998 | Tara Lipinski | Nagano |
| 2002 | Sarah Hughes | Salt Lake City |
| 2026 | Alysa Liu | Milan |
As the Olympic flame continues to burn in Milan, the image of Alysa Liu—gold dress shimmering, hair striped with “halos,” and a wide, genuine smile—will likely become the defining image of these Games. She didn’t just win a medal; she won back her love for the ice.
Would you like me to look up the final scores for the rest of the top ten or provide more details on Liu’s specific jump layout in the free skate?