Every four years when the Winter Olympics takes over our global consciousness, the usually-niche sport of figure skating suddenly becomes the event to watch. Millions of people around the world tune in to cheer for their home countries and the skaters representing them, and every time, there's "one to watch." This year, that's Alysa Liu.
The 20-year-old is no stranger to having all eyes on her though. Back in 2019, Alysa first made a name for herself when she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at just 13, becoming its youngest winner ever. In 2020, she earned the title again. Two years after that, she made her Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, one without the usual in-person fanfare due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At that Games, she came in a surprising sixth place.
Shortly after, Alysa shocked the world when she decided to officially retire from ice skating. She was only 16 at the time, and the typical retirement age for the sport is around mid-20s. But now, as the world looks toward the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina, which is happening February 6 to 22, they're also catching up to the fact that Alysa isn't just back—she's better than ever. |
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