Alysa Liu spoke about raising mental health awareness on the Olympic stage and how she reached that position with the help of her background in psychology. Liu won her first individual gold medal in the women’s singles on Feb. 19, 2026, after an exceptional free skate program.
Liu has been an icon not only for her skating flair but also for having a relaxed approach on the global stage.
Alysa Liu Talks About Mental Health Awareness After Olympic Exploits
Liu was an Olympian in the 2022 edition, but she readily decided to retire from her sport that year. She finished sixth in the free skate program but was far from disappointed with her result, as she said she was shocked by how well she performed. She then won the bronze medal at the World Championships, the first American woman to do so since Ashley Wagner in 2016.
However, Liu willingly hung up her skates that year, citing her satisfaction with her accomplishments, and focused on other endeavors, but reversed her retirement in the 2024-25 season. The reigning world champion and national silver medalist proved her worth on the Olympic stage, earning the first gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002.
More than her performance charisma, Liu won more hearts for her laid-back nature, as if no Olympic pressure fazed her.
In a later interview, she admitted that studying psychology in school contributed greatly to her journey, and she hopes to raise mental health awareness with the attention she receives and inspire more people.
U.S. Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu spoke after her figure skating win about the importance of mental health.
“I hope that, you know, with all this attention I can at least raise awareness about mental health in sports,” Liu said in an interview. And when reflecting on her win… pic.twitter.com/9oR7S62smt
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 20, 2026
“It took a lot to get to this point, and yes, psychology in school really did help. I love psychology, and it’s hard to explain. I hope that you know, with all this attention, I can at least raise awareness about mental health and sports, and mental health in general, and I think my story is pretty cool, so I hope that inspires some people as well.”
She was also grateful for the support she received from her close ones, as the 2022 Beijing edition didn’t allow any crowd.
“For me this Olympics mean a lot because my friends and family were out there watching. In Beijing, I didn’t have a crowd, so the fact that there’s a crowd here just hyped me up even more, and I was honoured to perform for everyone,” the 20-year-old said.
Liu also contributed to the Team USA gold finish after scoring nine points with her short program and free skate performances.
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Liu has also inspired her fellow skater Amber Glenn, who outpaced her for the national title at the 2026 edition. In an interview, the 26-year-old shared that she has still not been able to adopt Liu’s “go-with-the-flow” attitude, combined with the responsibility and hard work that bore fruit on the Olympic stage this season, but expressed her wish to embrace that in the days ahead.
Glenn was the top prospect coming into the Milan-Cortina Games, but she faltered in the short program, finishing 13th and ultimately placing fifth after the final event.
