Olympic Champion Alysa Liu takes a break

American figure skater Alysa Liu, the reigning Olympic champion, has announced that she will not compete during the 2026–2027 season, DPA reports, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

“While people are announcing their programs, I’m taking this moment to announce that I will not be competing this season,” Liu wrote on her Instagram account.

“I always want to challenge myself in new ways so that my artistry and skating can evolve. It’s important to me that my sport reflects my personal growth,” she added.

Liu also said that she wants to take time to “recalibrate and adjust things.”

The 21-year-old American figure skater stunned the world at the Milano Cortina Olympics in February 2026 with her free skate. Her performance to the late Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park Suite” earned her the gold medal and a standing ovation from the crowd.

In an interview with NBC Radio, Liu said she plans to continue training during her break and work on improving her technique — “overall artistry, spins, jumps, everything.”

This is not the first break Liu has taken in her career. In 2022, at the age of 16, she stepped away from figure skating, saying at the time that she “was so passionate about skating that she didn’t really do much else.” She later returned during the 2024–2025 season.

Photo: Instagram