On 19 February 2026, Alysa Liu won the women figure skating gold at Milano Cortina 2026, becoming the first American woman to win the singles title in 24 years, after stepping away from the sport and launching a comeback.
On 19 February 2026, Alysa Liu skated the routine of her life and ended a long wait for American figure skating. With a career-best free skate, the 20-year-old won the women singles gold at Milano Cortina 2026, becoming the first US woman to claim the Olympic title since Sarah Hughes at Salt Lake City in 2002, a gap of 24 years.
What made the moment so remarkable was the road she travelled to reach it. Liu made her Olympic debut as a 16-year-old at Beijing 2022, finishing sixth, then stepped away from competitive skating, feeling burned out. After more than two years in retirement, she rediscovered her love for the sport and launched a comeback in 2024. Less than a year later she won the 2025 World Championship on home ice in Boston, before completing the journey with Olympic gold.
“With a career-best free skate, the 20-year-old won the women singles gold at Milano Cortina 2026, becoming the first US woman to claim the Olympic title since Sarah Hughes at Salt Lake City in 2002, a gap of 24 years.”
Crucially, Liu returned on her own terms, immersing herself in the creative side of skating, from her music choices to her choreography and costumes. Skating her free programme to MacArthur Park Suite, she radiated a sense of freedom rather than pressure. I really don't feel nervous. There's nothing holding me down or holding me back. I invite it all in, she said after the short programme.
Her victory is a powerful lesson in stepping back in order to move forward. By walking away when she needed to and returning only when the joy came back, Liu showed that careers do not have to follow a straight line, and that rediscovering why you fell in love with something can be the very thing that carries you to the top.
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Good News Good Vibes. (2026, February 19). Alysa Liu caps an incredible comeback with Olympic figure skating gold. Retrieved from https://goodnewsgoodvibes.com/en/article/alysa-liu-figure-skating-gold-comeback-milano-cortina-2026
https://goodnewsgoodvibes.com/en/article/alysa-liu-figure-skating-gold-comeback-milano-cortina-2026
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Our editorial team curates and verifies positive news from credible sources worldwide.
Last reviewed: February 19, 2026
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