Alysa Liu’s hairstyle has caught global attention at the 2026 Winter Olympics, a coiffure that has been in progress since 2023. Liu’s hair, featuring bleached bands, mirrors the icy rink she’s competing on at the Games and her passion for trying something new.
Liu entered the Olympic skating rink as the reigning World champion and the youngest-ever US women’s national champion, a feat achieved at the age of 13.
Alysa Liu’s ‘Angel Halo’ Hairstyle Story that Has Been a Work in Progression Since 2023
Liu has been a precocious talent, beginning her figure skating journey at age five, as her father, Arthur Liu, idolized legendary skater Michelle Kwan. She soon became one of the brightest prospects in the US, and also won the National title in her senior debut year in 2019. At the US Nationals, she landed a triple Axel and became the youngest woman ever to do so.
The following season, she defended her title and became the first back-to-back national champion in seven years. Continuing to make waves in the years ahead, she represented her team at the 2022 Beijing Games but announced her initial retirement that same year.
While enjoying time away from the sport, Liu added a ring of gingery blonde to her hair in 2023, marking a journey toward exploring her creative self. She added another ring in the winter of 2024, doing it all herself, which is why the stripes retained a brownish tint.
Ahead of the Milan-Cortina Games, she consulted St. Louis–based hairstylist Kelsey Miller to lighten the stripes to a milky tea white. She achieved the look before the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January, in preparation for the Olympics, where her striped coiffure was designed to coordinate with the pale tones of the Olympic ice skating rink.
Liu finished in second place behind Amber Glenn at the US Championships 2026. Before going up on the podium to receive her medal, she made sure her hair was well done. She pulled it down, brushed it, and applied oil to the ends, everything while the camera was rolling.
At the Milan-Cortina Olympics, she fashionably stepped onto the ice and delivered a strong short program, finishing in second, but her performance was key to helping the USA claim team gold.
READ MORE: Alysa Liu Says Winter Olympics Team Event ‘Felt Different’ After Strong Short Program Skate
Her decision to walk away from the sport at just 16, in 2022, was a shock to the nation. But to her, it was the only way she could unburden herself and try other things in life. Her shift in goals happened more because she had to change her training venue after the pandemic, which meant losing her rink friends. Now that she has returned, the sports world has embraced her comeback with pride.
The 20-year-old has four National medals, two World medals, and an Olympic gold medal to date.
