Why Did Alysa Liu Retire?

Alysa Liu is one of the most talented young figure skaters America has ever seen. She gained attention at a very young age with her amazing jumps and graceful performances.

But in 2022, when she was just 16 years old, she surprised everyone by announcing her retirement from competitive skating. In this article, we will explore her journey, the reason she retired, and what she is doing now

Early Success in Skating

Alysa Liu began skating at the age of 5. She soon proved herself talented and went on to be the top with ease. She was the youngest U.S. women’s national champion in history at 13.

She retained her title in 2020 and continued competing in international competition, including at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. She possessed strong technical skills, most notably her triple axels, that set her apart from other skaters around the globe.

Why Did Alysa Liu Retire?

Alysa announced her retirement in April 2022, leaving many fans in shock. She was still young and had a bright future ahead of her in figure skating. So what made her want to stop?

Alysa said she had already accomplished everything she wanted to in skating. She had won national championships, skated in the Olympics and won a bronze medal at the World Figure Skating Championships. “I feel so happy about the work that I’ve done. I want to live my life outside of skating now.”

She also revealed that most of her own childhood had been spent on the sport. While other children her age were attending school and hanging out with friends, she was training nearly every day. She wanted to have a normal teenage life — go to school, spend time with friends, travel, and simply chill.

Another she cited has to do with mental health. As with many athletes, Alysa felt the pressure to perform well at all times. She was caring for herself emotionally and mentally by taking a break.

Life After Retirement

Once Alysa retired, she turned attention to the backstage of her life. She also traveled, including a memorable hiking trip in the Himalayas. She also began classes at UCLA, where she was able to enjoy a more typical student life. She took up driving, spent more time with her family and explored other hobbies and interests.

She had no regrets about retiring early, she said. It was the right decision at the right time for her. She also didn’t stop skating altogether — she just withdrew from competitions.

A Surprise Comeback

Then, in 2023, while vacationing in Lake Tahoe, Alysa began to feel how much she missed skating. Not the pressure or the judges — but the feeling of being on the ice. She slowly started training again, this time with a new perspective. She wanted to skate for herself, not for medals or titles.

In 2025, she returned in a big way, stunning the skating world by winning gold at the World Figure Skating Championships. It was 19 years since an American woman last held the title. Her victory showed that sometimes when people take a step back, it gives them the chance to return even more powerfully to the stage.

Future Aspirations

Encouraged by her recent successes, Liu now has her sights on continuing her skating career, with an eye toward the next Winter Olympics, in Milan and Cortina, Italy.

Now, she is in a place where she reminds herself that the point of all this is for her to enjoy herself, and with that, she really wants to enjoy this, do it in a healthy, holistic way, and make sure her competitive ambitions do not get ahead of this healthy ambition that she has.

Conclusion

Alysa Liu’s retirement was not about surrender. It was about making the best choice for her at that moment. She’d already accomplished so much and wanted to embrace life beyond sports.

Her journey serves to remind us that success is not only about medals, but also about contentment and balance. And now, by returning to the ice, she has reminded the world that it’s OK to hit pause, and to return even stronger.