Alysa Liu, a 19-year-old figure skater, became the first American woman in 19 years to win a world figure skating title, defeating three-time defending champion Kaori Sakamoto from Japan at the 2025 World Championships.
However, this achievement wouldn’t have been possible if the athlete had not decided to come back to the sport, even though her coaches tried to talk her out of returning.
Liu told CNN Sports: “I haven’t even been training for a whole year yet. I never would have expected to do this good. I’m really proud of myself and my team. It was just such a great experience that whole week. It was my first world since I retired. It was my last competition, actually. So, coming back, it was really emotional and bittersweet, but I skated two great programmes and I just happened to walk away with the gold.”
She added: “So, coming back and medalling again was really crazy. It’s such a wild story.”
Liu’s competitive journey
Before her retirement, Liu made waves in the figure skating world. At the age of 13, she became the youngest-ever US champion. She went on to compete in the 2022 Beijing Olympics and also won a medal at the World Championships of the same year. However, at 16, she shocked the skating world by announcing that she would leave the sport.
Explaining her side of the story, Liu admitted: “Back then, honestly, I really was just a kid wanting to be with my siblings and make memories with them. I hadn’t gone on vacation ever in my life until after I quit skating. So, it’s just human moments that I really craved. I just felt very isolated back then, travelling everywhere for training purposes. And I mean, I knew it had to be done because the Olympics was right around the corner, but it was really hard for me back then.”
She added: “When everyone wants you to win gold and all you want to do is be with your friends and family, it’s really hard because you’re doing something not for yourself. And I never really liked training. I didn’t like doing anything hard. I wasn’t living at home at all, and all the travelling, got me really sick. I just really wanted to be at home and just enjoy hobbies and find myself. I feel like everyone was telling me who I was, and I never had that moment of clarity to realise anything about myself.”
On hating the sport
At some time in her life, Liu also admitted that she disliked some parts of the sport. She remarked: “I went through such highs and such lows. I felt like it was so extreme, and I wanted a break and at that time, I thought it was going to be a permanent break from the sport, but life goes on and I went through the extreme of being in the sport and the extreme of being completely out of it, and now I think I have a really healthy medium.”
What made her come back?
According to the athlete, an impromptu skiing trip to Lake Tahoe with her friends during her break from the sport was the turning point of her decision.
Liu shared: “I hadn’t skated at all, and I would never step in the ice rink. I would avoid it at all costs. I wouldn’t talk about it. I wouldn’t watch skating. I completely disconnected myself from that world. And when I skied, you know, it’s cold, you have a lot of adrenaline… It takes a good amount of physical strength to get down those hills. It’s so similar to skating, and that was the first time I had felt that since competition and since quitting. And I really enjoyed it. So, I thought, why not step back out on the ice, since it’s easier to access than the mountains.”
What’s next for Liu?
The young athlete has sights firmly set on what lies ahead of her skating career, with her primary focus being able to compete at next year’s Winter Olympics in Italy.
“I’m really excited. I hope I’m there. My first Olympics was really fun, and I thought, why not do another Olympics? And I’m pretty confident in my team moving forward. I think I’m going to be a whole lot better next season. I’m really excited for my own growth… I’m just trying to visualise two awesome programmes I can put out. Something I can be proud of that I would love to showcase at the Olympics one day because it’s the biggest stage. It’s the biggest honour,” Liu said.
In a social media post, Liu shared one of her recent performances and said: “My free skate from World Championships 2025… This was the most fun I’ve had with the program all season. So grateful for all the energy in this arena, it really carried me through.”
View this post on Instagram
Netizens expressed their support in the comments. One netizen shared: “This performance changed my life and will probably be an inspiration for me for the rest of my skating career and even just life in general. It was nothing i’ve ever seen before & i can’t forget it. this performance was electric.”
Another netizen said: “i’ve never seen a crowd so invested and excited like this! amazing skating and so much joy!!!”
More netizens commented: “You made the audience have fun along with you! Beautiful programme!”, and “This performance is just so mesmerisng, instantly became one of my favourite programmes ever 🤍⛸️”