Who is Alysa Liu? American figure skater becomes first US woman in 24 years to win gold; all about her career, net worth and early retirement

Alysa Liu figure skating gold: A packed crowd inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena witnessed history on Thursday night when American star Alysa Liu delivered perhaps a near-flawless Olympic free skate. delivered the US its first women's figure skating gold medal in 24 years. She finished with 226.79 points to upstage Japanese teammates Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai, who took silver and bronze respectively at the Milan Cortina Games.

The moment Nakai’s score was read after the final program of the night, US teammate Amber Glenn jumped into the kiss-and-cry and raised Liu’s hand in triumph. Liu sheepishly turned and applauded the 17-year-old Nakai, who raced over and hugged her.

It was the first individual gold medal for an American woman since 2002, when Sarah Hughes stood atop the podium in Salt Lake City, and it was the second gold for Liu at the Milan Cortina Games. She and Glenn helped the Americans win team gold.


A television camera zoomed in on Liu as she was heading off the ice. “That's what I'm f—————— talking about!” she shouted into the lens, as reported by news agency AP. Oh, they'll be talking about her for quite a while.

“I think my story is more important than anything to me,” Liu said, as quoted by AP. “And that's what I will hold dear, and this journey has been incredible, and my life has just been — I have no complaints,” she added.

In 2025, Liu captured the first world title by an American woman since 2006. She was perfect from her opening triple flip to her closing combination sequence.

Alysa Liu: Early life, career and net worth

Born on August 8, 2005, in Clovis, California, via surrogacy Liu has been considered a prodigy from a young age. The 20-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area walked away from the sport before finding her way back again. She apparently found herself in the process.

In 2019, Liu made her presence felt when she made history at the age of 13 becoming the youngest skater ever to win the US Figure Skating Championships. She breaks a record previously held by Tara Lipinski. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she has a net worth of $500 thousand.

Liu was raised primarily in the Bay Area. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she is the eldest of five children raised by her father, Arthur Liu, a lawyer who emigrated to the United States after fleeing China as a political refugee following his involvement in pro-democracy demonstrations around the time of Tiananmen Square. She and her siblings were born via surrogacy with an anonymous egg donor, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Arthur's former wife, Mary, serves as the children's legal guardian.

Liu attended Chinese school for several years before enrolling at the Oakland School for the Arts. She transitioned to homeschooling as her skating career intensified and travel demands increased. This allows her to train and compete year-round at an elite level.

Alysa Liu retirement and comeback

Alysa Liu announced her retirement from competitive figure skating in April 2022 at the age of 16. At that time, she had expressed her desire to move on with her life, explore college, travel, and experience a sense of normalcy she had never known.

While being away from the sport, Liu went on road trips with friends, and lived without a training schedule. She traveled extensively and trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Two years later, Liu returned to skating.