Who Is Alysa Liu? Meet World Figure Skating Champion!
In a moment that felt ripped straight out of a sports movie, Alysa Liu, 19, just pulled off one of the greatest comebacks figure skating has ever seen. One year after announcing her return to the ice, Liu became the first American woman in 19 years to win the World Figure Skating Championships—and she did it on home soil.
Skating to Donna Summer’s disco anthem MacArthur Park, Liu didn’t just compete—she owned the rink. It was bold, it was joyful, it was technically brilliant—and by the end of the night, it was golden.
From Olympic retirement to world champion
Let’s rewind for a second.
Alysa Liu made her Olympic debut in Beijing 2022, placing 6th. That same year, she earned a bronze at the World Championships before announcing she was stepping away from competitive skating entirely. Fans were stunned, but Liu, then just 16, cited a desire to experience life outside the rink.
Fast-forward to March 2024, when she casually dropped the news: she’s coming back. Most thought it was just for fun. Few thought she’d climb back to the top. But slowly, meet by meet, Liu rebuilt her momentum. And in Boston, she completed the arc: from teen prodigy, to retired Olympian, to world champion.
“I’m not going to lie, this is an insane story,” Liu told NBC Sports.
“I don’t know how I came back to be world champion.”
A disco-fueled gold medal moment
Performing in front of a home crowd at TD Garden, Liu landed seven clean triple jumps in her free skate. Her final score of 222.97 points was enough to beat three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto (silver) and Japan’s rising star Mone Chiba (bronze).
Liu’s routine wasn’t just technically clean—it was fun. The Donna Summer soundtrack, the effortless spins, and even a pre-performance cartwheel (yes, really) made it clear: Alysa Liu is skating on her own terms now.
What this means for Team USA
Liu’s gold, combined with solid finishes from Isabeau Levito (4th) and Amber Glenn (5th), secures three spots for U.S. women at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. That’s a huge deal, especially with the depth and talent in American skating right now.
And Liu isn’t the only one making headlines. Ilia Malinin and ice dancers Madison Chock & Evan Bates are favorites to win their events as well, potentially giving Team USA three out of four titles at Worlds—a feat that hasn’t happened in decades.
Alysa Liu joins an elite club
With this victory, Liu’s name is now etched alongside American figure skating legends like Michelle Kwan, Kristi Yamaguchi, Dorothy Hamill, Peggy Fleming, and the last U.S. world champion before her—Kimmie Meissner, who won it all in 2006 when Liu was just one year old.
From prodigy to podium, from retirement to redemption—Alysa Liu’s 2025 season is the story everyone will be talking about for years to come.
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