Alysa Liu hasn’t even graduated high school yet, but the Team USA athlete already announced her retirement from figure skating.
Just two months after her seventh-place finish at the 2022 Olympics and one month after her bronze-medal win at the 2022 world championships in France, Liu announced that she has accomplished all that she has wanted to do in the sport.
“I’m here to announce that i am retiring from skating,” Liu wrote in an Instagram post Saturday. “I feel so satisfied with how my skating career has gone. now that i’m finally done with my goals in skating i’m going to be moving on with my life… this skating thing has taught me a lot more about life than i anticipated. i’m really glad i skated.”
Liu enjoyed an impressive career in her 11 years on the ice. At 13, she became the youngest woman to win a U.S. national senior title. Just one year later in 2020, Liu defended her title to become the youngest two-time national champion. In Beijing, she was the youngest of the three women — alongside Mariah Bell and Karen Chen — representing the U.S. in the individual women’s competition.
On Saturday, Alysa Liu announced her retirement from competitive figure skating. APOn the ice, the 16-year-old has become known for her impressive repertoire. Liu was the first junior American woman to successfully land a quadruple jump in a program, and was the first woman to successfully land both a triple axel and a quad in the same routine.
“It’s been an insane 11 years,” Liu wrote. “I honestly never thought i would’ve accomplished as much as i did LMAOO i’m so happy.”
Liu’s Olympic journey was filled with controversy both on and off the ice. Russian competitor Kamila Valieva tested positive for a banned, performance-enhancing substance but was still allowed to compete.
In addition, Liu and her father, a former political refugee, were reportedly being watched by the Chinese government. Liu’s father, Arthur, has previously spoken out against the Chinese Communist Party. During the Olympics, the duo were alongside escorts at all times.
At the 2022 Olympics, Liu finished seventh in the individual women’s competition. APStill, Liu’s retirement post reflected on her positive experiences skating and all that she’ll cherish about her time as a competitive figure skater.
“I’ve made so many friends, and so so sooo many good memories that i’ll have for the rest of my life,” Liu wrote. “(Right now) i’m probably just gonna spend all my spare time with my family and friends; and i’m also going to study.”
“But [for real] this skating thing has taught me a lot more about life than i anticipated. i’m really glad i skated.”





