Oakland’s Alysa Liu, still basking in the glory of her breakout Olympic gold medal-winning figure skating performance six months ago, is taking a break. A well-deserved one.
The 21-year-old who in Italy became America’s first Olympic women’s singles champ in 24 years announced on social media Tuesday she won’t be competing during the upcoming 2027 season.
“I’m gonna take the time to recalibrate,” Liu wrote on Instagram. “So fear not, I’ll be back, & in the meantime I’ll be rooting for my teammates near & far.”
It’s been a whirlwind existence for Liu since winning two Olympic gold medals at the Milan Cortina Games in February. She’s lived a turbo-charged life after taking home two gold medals from Italy, one for the Olympic team title and one for matching American Sara Hughes’ gold medal in singles in 2002.
Her overwhelming popularity led to numerous television appearances, red carpet walks at the Met Gala and the ESPYs, a formal celebration in her adopted hometown, sold-out performances for the “Stars on Ice” tour and … frankly, not enough down time for a young, introspective athlete.
“I always want to challenge myself in new ways, so my artistry and skating can evolve,” Liu wrote. “It’s important to me that my sport reflects my personal growth.”
Typical of many gold-medal winners, Liu decided not to compete in the world championships a month after the Olympics in February. Her next scheduled big event was on Nov. 13 at Skate America’s Grand Prix in Everett, Wash. Now the Grand Prix event is just the first of many events where she’ll be cheering on others from afar.
And, who knows, perhaps she’ll finally have a chance of pursuing her dream of becoming a professional piercer?