The Art of the Comeback

The 2026 Winter Olympics may be over, but the world’s obsession with Alysa Liu is just beginning. Hailing from the Bay Area, California, the 20-year-old with halo-hair took the world by storm after winning the gold medal in women’s figure skating at the Winter Olympics, less than a year after she won the world title in Mar. 2025. It was a thrilling night at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, and one that recaps just how much a difference in mindset can make.

Retirement-Me-Not

I vividly remember opening Instagram in April of 2022 to a—now deleted—post from Liu. “heyyyyy so i’m here to announce that i am retiring from skating,” she casually wrote. Less than a month after her bronze-medal-winning performance at the 2022 World Championships and almost two months since her Olympic debut in Beijing, Liu suddenly retired from the sport at the age of 16. By that time, she was already a national champion, a World Championships medalist, and an Olympian. When I was 16, I was a meager high school junior who dabbled in violin. 

After some post-season ice shows, Liu disappeared from the skating world. While she experienced what “normal” kids do—she trekked to the Mount Everest base camp—I mourned the “loss” of one of my favorite skaters. During her retirement years, other figure skating stars rose through the ranks. By 2024, Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto (bronze medalist from Beijing) won three consecutive World titles, and American stars Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito each earned a national title.

Two years went by before Liu initially stepped back on the ice. This time, she would be skating on “her own terms”—no longer under her father’s watchful eye, she had control over her training and coaches. No one knew what form she would return in. Two years off the ice is a long time when you consider having to regain jumps, spins, steps, and stamina. However, while many fans were skeptical of her skill set, I was firm in my belief that she would be back, even better than before. 

Boy, was I right—after some trial-and-error. After subpar outings on figure skating’s fall international invitational series, which features the world’s top skaters, Liu came into the 2025 World Championships with little expectation. Held at TD Garden, I was lucky enough to be able to see her skate in person. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how well she would place among the world’s best. The same competition featured the likes of Kaori Sakamoto and Amber Glenn, just to name a few. But in the end, Liu came out on top, defeating the defending champion Sakamoto and cementing her comeback. 

Reclaiming the Ice

Fast forward to the 2026 Winter Olympics, where Liu arrived with more accolades to her name than before she began her athletic hiatus four years earlier. The first half of the 2025-26 season saw Liu continue her momentum from Boston, winning the Grand Prix Final (a competition for the top six in each discipline from the Grand Prix series) in Dec. 2025. A month later, she placed second to Amber Glenn at nationals. She landed in Milan with a streak of clean performances, with the best yet to come.

For those unfamiliar, figure skating competitions are split into two segments: the short program and free skate. The short program comes first, consisting of programs two-and-a-half minutes long with a required set of elements. The four-minute free skate gives skaters more freedom with their elements. The top 24 skaters after the short program move on to the free skate. 

There’s a common figure skating phrase that emphasizes the high stakes of the short program: “You can’t win it in the short program, but you can lose it.” Maybe that’s why I’m always more nervous for the short: everyone has similar starting base values, so it all comes down to execution. As the first note of Laufey’s “Promise” fell around the arena, the atmosphere shifted. Once Liu entered her final layback spin, it was obvious that she was in the mix for an Olympic medal—but what medal would it be?

Golden Dress, Gold Medal, Golden Girl

The short program ended with Japan’s Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto finishing first and second, with Liu closely behind in third. With just over two points separating the top three, the gold was anyone’s to take. Skating in reverse order of their short program rankings, Liu was up first. 

As she stood on center ice, her golden dress sparkled, reflecting off the arena’s lights and the ice—a perfect match for her program’s music selection, Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park Suite.” Adding to her golden dress was her contagious smile, which stayed as she went into every jump with confidence. The audience was on their feet before she even struck her ending pose, clapping along to the music. Every landing was pristine, her steps and spins were of the highest caliber, and her performance quality never faltered.

The night ended with two Japanese skaters back-to-back: Sakamoto (the heavy favorite) and Nakai (the 17-year-old newly minted senior with a triple axel). However, neither skated at their best. While their technical arsenals were similar to that of Liu’s, the execution wasn’t there; their performances felt more defensive than offensive. As the judges tabulated their technical elements and component (artistic) marks, both fell behind Liu. with Sakamoto dropping to second and Nakai to third. Alysa Liu became America’s golden girl. 

The Future is in Sight

Winning Olympic gold catapulted Liu to fame—not just domestically, but globally as well. Her gold medal-winning free skate garnered more than 2.5 million views on YouTube, and her gala exhibition to “Stateside” by PinkPantheress went viral, not to mention the numerous media appearances that have accompanied her 7.4 million (and counting) followers on Instagram.

She was already a welcoming presence in the skating world, but now, it’s hard not to know who Liu is. Even with her newfound fame, I’m happy to share that I have been a fan of hers since she won her first senior national title in 2019. She’s come a long way since then: she went to her first Olympics, retired at the age of 16, and then came back to the sport on her own terms. I’ve come a long way, too: I got into Harvard, planned to be pre-med, and am now becoming a consultant instead. In the time that has passed, I have watched her become both an Olympic and World Champion and an inspiration to many.

Lessons from Liu

Liu’s story differs from the “work hard, play hard” mindset that many Harvard students possess. Her journey teaches that success is not always the result of a predictable path or perfectly executed plan. Rather than following a rigid formula, Liu embraced exploration and allowed herself to pivot.

While dedication is important, Liu’s path suggests that growth often comes from moments of doubt, experimentation, and deviation from expectations. Especially at Harvard, it’s important not to immerse yourself in social comparisons; an internship offer, extracurricular leadership, or completed thesis shouldn’t serve as a benchmark. Perseverance is not just about pushing forward on a single track—it’s also about having the bravery to change direction. 

Before returning, she stepped away, recalibrated, and chose her path deliberately, rather than simply following expectations. That decision—not the medals—is what makes her story powerful. Her journey consistently reminds me that growth doesn’t follow a strict timeline. What matters most is the willingness to keep moving, to keep choosing, and to trust that redefining your path is not falling behind.

I may not be chasing Olympic gold, but I am chasing growth—and like Liu, I’m learning that sometimes stepping away, starting over, or trying something new is its own kind of victory.

Daniel Kim ’26 (danielkim@college.harvard.edu)has been an avid figure skating enthusiast since 2016.