Alysa Liu’s Triumphant Return to Figure Skating Glory
Alysa Liu, the American figure skating star, has reclaimed her position at the top of the sport after winning gold at the Grand Prix Final in Japan. Edging out Japanese teen sensation Nakai Ami by less than two points, Liu secured her second international medal of the 2025 season as she builds momentum toward the Milano-Cortina Olympics in February. “My performance definitely does give me confidence, in my stamina and in my consistency,” Liu reflected after her victory. Despite this success, she remains grounded, acknowledging that “a lot of things can happen between now and the Olympics.” This victory is especially meaningful considering Liu’s unconventional path, having only returned to competitive skating last year following an early retirement after the 2022 Beijing Games.
Liu’s journey in figure skating has been nothing short of extraordinary. She burst onto the scene as a prodigy, becoming the youngest U.S. champion in history when she claimed the title at just 13 years old in 2019, then successfully defended it the following year. However, her first Olympic experience in 2022 came with unexpected complications that sound more like the plot of a spy thriller than an athlete’s story. Liu and her father became targets in a federal investigation into Chinese espionage, with her father’s involvement in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests making him a person of interest to Chinese intelligence. “Like, imagine finding that out at such a young age,” Liu told Fox News Digital. “In a weird way, I was like, ‘Am I in some prank show?’ Like, is this world real? I must be some movie character.” Despite the surreal situation, Liu competed at the Beijing Games with heightened security measures, including having at least two escorts with her at all times.
The pressure and intensity of elite competition, combined with the bizarre espionage situation, contributed to Liu’s decision to step away from the sport after finishing sixth individually and earning a bronze in the team event at the Beijing Olympics. Skating had transformed from a passion into something that felt more like work, and Liu yearned for the normalcy of college life. It wasn’t until a recreational ski trip reignited her competitive spirit that she began considering a return to the ice. Early in 2023, she made her comeback intentions public with a cryptic social media post, and while the road back hasn’t been without challenges, her second-place finish at the U.S. championships signaled that Liu was once again a force to be reckoned with in international figure skating.
Liu’s comeback reached a spectacular pinnacle in March 2024 when she accomplished something no American woman had done in nearly two decades – winning the World Figure Skating Championships. By dethroning Japan’s three-time defending champion Kaori Sakamoto, Liu became the first American woman to claim the world title since Kimmie Meissner in 2006. This historic achievement not only reestablished Liu’s credentials as one of the world’s premier skaters but also signaled a potential resurgence for American women in a discipline that has been dominated by Russian and Japanese competitors in recent years. The victory validated her decision to return to competition and positioned her as a legitimate medal contender for the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Now with her sights firmly set on the Milano-Cortina Olympics, Liu represents one of Team USA’s most compelling narratives. Her remarkable journey encompasses prodigious early success, the bizarre intrigue of international espionage, a premature retirement, and now a triumphant comeback at the highest levels of the sport. When asked about the possibility of her extraordinary life story being adapted for film, Liu hasn’t dismissed the idea but does have some thoughts about how such a project might unfold. “They gotta make me look like a super cool hero or something,” she said with characteristic humor. “I can’t just be the kid that got spied on and did nothing about it.”
Despite her own remarkable achievements, Liu maintains perspective about her place in a larger story. When discussing a potential film adaptation of her experiences, she suggested focusing on her father’s journey rather than her own. “Honestly, I would just have the main focus be like my dad’s story, because his story is so cool,” Liu explained. “Also just like everything that only happened because of what he did, so I feel like we got to start with the roots.” This perspective reveals Liu’s maturity and awareness that her own success is connected to her family’s remarkable history of courage and resilience. As she continues her preparation for what would be her second Olympic appearance, Liu carries not only her personal ambitions but also this rich family legacy, making her upcoming Olympic campaign one of the most anticipated stories of the Winter Games.
