Alysa Liu is gearing up to leave her mark at the Milan Winter Olympics this February, and she recently opened up about one of the toughest challenges in figure skating. As a leading contender for gold with Team USA, alongside Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito, Liu dazzled at the 2026 U.S. Championships, capturing silver with a score of 228.91. Glenn took gold, while Levito claimed bronze.
If there is any indication that Liu will continue to repeat her impressive performance at the Olympics, it will be in her 2025-26 season, when she won the Grand Prix Final gold medal and gold at 2025 Skate America.
Alysa Liu Reveals Biggest Struggle in Figure Skating
In a video shared on Instagram, Liu discussed many topics, including what surprised her most about the Olympic Village, and was asked what the hardest thing in figure skating is, to which she said:
“I guess, one of the hardest things in figure skating is finding music to skate to. So we have two programs, and our free skate is four minutes long, and there are not many songs out there nowadays that are even four minutes long. So I would say that.”
This season, Liu’s routines reveal her love for pop and contemporary music. She brought energy and emotion to the ice with “Promise” by Laufey as her short program, captivating audiences at every event, including the U.S. Championships.
Liu on How Her Break from Skating Helped
After dazzling at the 2022 World Championships and Beijing Winter Olympics, Liu stepped away from the rink, announcing her retirement. Feeling burned out and longing for family time, she set her sights on a new adventure at UCLA.
As per Olympics.com, Liu discussed this moment and how it helped her get back on track:
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m calling quits right now’. It was a crucial time in my life. I was 16 and college was coming up. I wanted to do so much. I went to Nepal, and I trekked to Everest Base Camp. Me and my friends would do tons of road trips. I was really just livin’ it up.”
Reflecting on her return to skating in the 2024-25 season, Liu shared that she finally felt in charge of her own journey.
“I get to pick my own programme music. I get to help with the creative process of the programme. If I feel like I’m skating too much, I’ll back down. If I feel like I’m not skating enough I’ll ramp it up. No one’s going to starve me or tell me what I can or can’t eat.”
Figure skating at the Milan Olympics will unfold from February 6 to 19, with Liu ready to take the ice for Team USA in the team event on opening day.
