Imagine a five-year-old girl finding her love for ice skating as she zooms past the rink in Oakland Ice Center. Then fast forward to 2021, when she would take a break for the first time since she was five as quarantine for COVID-19 hit the world and would think, “I was like, ‘Wow! This is what not skating is like.’ And I loved it so much.” And then think of being a 16-year-old, who, for the very first time, goes on a family vacation and chooses to do things her way. That is the story of Alysa Liu, the ice-skating prodigy who bid adieu to the sport after the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The young competitive figure skater had essentially achieved all– She is the youngest US figure skating champion, youngest American to land a triple axel, and the only American woman to quad lutz, and yes, a seventh place in the 2022 Winter Games But she missed the simple things in life– Time with her family, a normal teenage life, school, and a lot more. Her hip injuries caused by jumping on the ice day in and day out for years did not help either. So, when she finally bid adieu to the ice rink for good in 2022, it was understandable. But how long can someone stay away from something they truly love?

In February 2024 strategized her return to the competitive world of ice skating and has already showcased her elite skills in the 2025 World Championships. But with more reasons to leave than to stay, why return? The same question her coach Phillip DiGuglielmo asked when she first reached out to him when she decided to return. If you are wondering that too, she did answer it for all of us.

With the 2025 World Figure Skating Championship underway, Liu led proceedings in her category. After the completion of the women’s short program, Liu is the leader with an impressive score of 74.58. And she could not be happier.

Appearing before the media, she was asked to comment on her performance. And her initial response was an excited one. Liu stated, “I felt pretty good about my skate. I haven’t watched it back yet so that answer might change. But, it felt very nice kind of start to end, especially in my footwork, I really saw the audience, and I could connect with them, especially with the lyrics storyline progressing so much. It was really a nice feeling.”

Now if you don’t know yet, the song Alysa chose, Promise by Laufey, was a personal choice. You see, before this, her father would set everything for her– from firing or hiring a coach to the songs. But this time, she wanted her comeback to be designed by herself. And so, she chose the song that would perfectly define sudden goodbyes, failed promises (to stay away), and an inevitable reunion.

Her routine that consisted of a triple-flip triple-toe combination, a double axel, and a triple Lutz got her the first place, one point clear of the second-placed Mone Chiba from Japan. Surely, the audience at the TD Garden was elated to the core watching Liu coming back and setting the stage on fire, the entire arena was filled with cheers. And why not? After all, Alysa Liu delivered a flawless routine to enchant them all.  

Now, while Alysa Liu is enjoying all the glitz and glamor at the moment, it is quite a curious thing to dive deep into why she retired in the first place.

Why did Alysa Liu walk away while at the zenith of success?

At just 16, Alysa Liu shocked the figure skating world when she dropped an Instagram post before disabling her social accounts. On April 9, she wrote, “I’m here to announce that I am retiring from skating. I started skating when I was 5 so that’s about 11 years on the ice and it’s been an insane 11 years. I made the decision for myself a while ago, way before the Olympics. My only goal was to go to the Olympics. I’m only 16. I want to do other stuff. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s purely for myself. I guess it’s selfish.”

The news came after she skated at the 2022 Winter Olympics, her dream, and won a bronze at the 2022 World Championships, Liu announced her unexpected retirement. After becoming the youngest U.S. women’s national champion at 13 and the first American woman to land a quadruple jump in competition, Liu was already a trailblazer. But behind the streak of success lay another story.

Liu was exhausted. “I was so into skating that I really didn’t do much else,” Liu admitted. The pressure of training and competition had consumed her life to the point where it blurred together. Underscoring how deeply the sport had drained her, Liu added, “There were many, many times when I didn’t enjoy it.”

A year before the Olympics, Liu had already decided she would retire if she made the U.S. team. She wanted a life beyond skating. She wanted to experience school and vacations. She was running behind enjoying those simple teenage moments.

Her longtime coach, Phillip DiGuglielmo, understood her decision. “She felt she had kept up her side of the bargain with her father and the skating community,” he stated. After achieving her Olympic goals, Liu wanted to step away while still at the top. She toured briefly with ‘Stars on Ice and The Ice: Japan’ before leaving the sport in the summer of 2022.

And finally, the time away gave her some room to breathe and her body to heal. Alysa traveled to Nepal for a 17-day trek to Mount Everest Base Camp and allowed herself to explore life outside of skating. She even rolled into UCLA in fall of 2023. For Liu, retirement wasn’t an escape. Rather, it was a necessary reset. And that reset helped her to get back into the skating realm better and stronger.