Alysa Liu dazzles to win figure
skating gold, ending a 24-year Olympic drought for US women
[February 20, 2026]
By DAVE SKRETTA
MILAN (AP) — Alysa Liu had just delivered a near-flawless Olympic
free skate on Thursday night, one that left a packed crowd inside
the Milano Ice Skating Arena standing and roaring, when a television
camera zoomed in on the American star as she was heading off the
ice.
“That's what I'm f—————— talking about!” Liu shouted into the lens.
Oh, they'll be talking about her for quite a while.
The 20-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area, who walked away
from the sport before finding her way back again — and finding
herself in the process — delivered the U.S. 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 at the Milan Cortina Games.
“I think my story is more important than anything to me,” Liu said,
her frenulum piercing glinting in the light as she smiled, “and
that's what I will hold dear, and this journey has been incredible,
and my life has just been — I have no complaints.”
The moment Nakai’s score was read after the final program of the
night, U.S. 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.
“Her story of taking a step back, mental health, I think it really
attests to you never know what the journey to success is going to
be,” said Glenn, who finished fifth. “I really hope that can reach
the skating community, that it’s OK to take time.”
It was a bittersweet silver medal for Sakamoto, the three-time world
champion, who intends to retire after this season. One of the most
popular figure skaters of her generation earned a bronze medal four
years ago in Beijing and had her heart set on gold.
“I'm really regretful,” said Sakamoto, who finished with 224.90
points. “I feel like I'm so disappointed, to be honest.”
Liu's latest gold medal, meanwhile, blended right into her
glittering gold-sequined dress, only the blue ribbon standing out.
And it seemed the perfect complement to the golden stripes running
through her dark brown hair, which are meant to resemble the growth
rings on a tree.
Liu has done a whole lot of growing up over the years.
She was the youngest U.S. champion ever when she won the first of
back-to-back titles at 13 years old. But after finishing sixth at
the Beijing Games, Liu was so burned out that she abruptly retired.
She spent the next two years doing bucket-list things like climbing
up to the base camp of Mount Everest and enrolling at UCLA, where
she is studying psychology.
It was on a skiing trip a couple of years ago, when Liu felt the
same familiar adrenaline rush she once felt while skating, that she
began to think about a comeback. But this time, Liu would be skating
on her terms, more carefree and self-assured than she'd been as a
child prodigy, when her life revolved around the practice rink.
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Alysa Liu of the United States competes during the women's figure
skating free program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy,
Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
“I mean, it’s just how my life has gone,” Liu said,
shrugging. “Everything in general has led me to this point.”
Even during warmups Thursday night, Liu skated with a grin on her
face, never showing any outward signs of pressure. She took the time
to wave at friends and family in the stands who had been keeping her
out late for dinners, which she called “super fun.”
“What I was feeling,” Liu said, “was happy and confident.”
Glenn must have felt the same way a couple of hours earlier. She had
to perform long before her friend and teammate following a
disappointing short program two nights prior. But Glenn rebounded in
spectacular fashion, and her season-best free skate not only gave
her a score of 214.91 points but it nearly put her on the podium,
too.
Glenn pumped her fist and fought back tears when her score was read,
then she took a seat in the new “leader’s chair.”
“It was nice to watch some great figure skating up close,” Glenn
said, “but it's also conflicting, because you want to stay there but
you don't want to wish mistakes on anybody else.”
She wound up staying there for quite a while.
Adeliia Petrosian, an 18-year-old Russian competing as a neutral
athlete, tried the only quadruple jump during the women’s
competition but fell on the quad toe loop. She was clean the rest of
the way, but the points Petrosian lost on that fall ended up leaving
her less than a half-point behind Glenn sitting in the leader's
chair.
“I feel a little ashamed,” Petrosian said, after taking a few
minutes to compose herself, “for myself, for the federation, for my
coaches and for the spectators that it went this way. I understand
that it’s my own fault.”
It wasn't until Mone Chiba — the ninth skater to follow Glenn to the
ice — that the three-time U.S. champ was bumped from her spot.
Chiba's stint in the leader's chair didn't last nearly as long.
Liu, who last year captured the first world title by an American
woman since 2006, was perfect from her opening triple flip to her
closing combination sequence. As the last bits of Donna Summer's
version of “MacArthur Park” faded away, and the roar of the fans
filled the void, Liu gave a casual flip of her ponytail as if to
say, “So what?”
Her coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali, were a little
more rambunctious. They punched the air, gave each other a big hug,
then headed over to greet their star pupil when she stepped off the
ice to await her score.
The score that ultimately would give her an Olympic title and end a
long drought for U.S. women.
“I don't need this,” Liu said of the gold medal hanging around her
neck, “but what I needed was the stage, and I got that. So it was
all good, no matter what happened. I mean, if I fell on every jump,
I would still be wearing this dress. So it's all good.”
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