On Feb. 19, 2026, Alysa Liu made Olympic history. The Chinese-American figure skater won the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympic games, ending a 24-year-old drought for the United State’s women’s team.
Her incredible performance gave her a near two-point lead above Japan’s three-time champion Kaori Sakamoto, who placed second. Ami Nakai, a young prodigy from Japan, took bronze in what was a wholesome and emotional moment between her and Liu.
Liu’s gold medal not only marks a huge accomplishment for the United States and the Asian American community. Her impressive win also followed a two-year-long hiatus from skating she took at age 16 due to mental fatigue. In addition, Liu hopes to continue a healthy relationship with her sport and serve as a positive role model for other figure skaters to prioritize their mental health.
