{"id":444161,"date":"2026-08-26T15:56:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T15:56:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/444161\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T15:56:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T15:56:13","slug":"alysa-liu-taking-break-from-figure-skating-after-olympic-gold-medal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/444161\/","title":{"rendered":"Alysa Liu taking break from figure skating after Olympic gold medal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oakland\u2019s Alysa Liu<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

The 21-year-old who in Italy became America\u2019s first Olympic women\u2019s singles champ in 24 years announced on social media Tuesday she won\u2019t be competing during the upcoming 2027 season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna take the time to recalibrate,\u201d Liu wrote on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cSo fear not, I\u2019ll be back, & in the meantime I\u2019ll be rooting for my teammates near & far.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a whirlwind existence for Liu<\/a> since winning two Olympic gold medals at the Milan Cortina Games in February. She\u2019s 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\u2019 gold medal in singles in 2002.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>, sold-out performances \u00a0for the \u201cStars on Ice\u201d tour and \u2026 frankly, not enough down time for a young, introspective athlete.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always want to challenge myself in new ways, so my artistry and skating can evolve,\u201d Liu wrote. \u201cIt\u2019s important to me that my sport reflects my personal growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s Grand Prix in Everett, Wash. Now the Grand Prix event is just the first of many events where she\u2019ll be cheering on others from afar.<\/p>\n

And, who knows, perhaps she\u2019ll finally have a chance of pursuing her dream of becoming a professional piercer<\/a>?<\/p>\n

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