Born in California, Alysa Liu was raised primarily by her father, Arthur Liu. Liu’s father was a political refugee from China, immigrating to the United States in the 1990s and becoming a lawyer. Liu’s father was inspired by Olympic figure skaters Michelle Kwan and Kristi Yamaguchi. He had a strong belief in Liu’s talent at a very young age. Enrolling her in figure skating lessons with her coach, Laura Lipetsky, at just five years old. Over the span of his daughter’s entire Olympic-gold-medalist journey, Arthur Liu admits to spending around $500,000 to $1 million dollars on figure skating alone.
“I spared no money, no time,” Arthur said. “I just saw talent.”
Liu competed in her first competition in her career at ten years old, quickly moving up to national competitions at twelve years old. In her 2019-20 season, Liu became the first American female skater to complete a quadruple Lutz in a competition. Along with this, Liu also became the first female skater to complete a quadruple jump and a triple Axel in the same program in a competition. This was an impressive feat not only because she set a world record, but also because she was in her early teens during this season.
On April 9, 2022, Liu announced on social media that she was retiring from figure skating, stating that she felt satisfied with her career and was “moving on with life”. Liu’s hiatus came as a surprise to many fans, seeing as she was in the middle of the height of her figure skating career.
“I started skating when I was 5, so that’s about 11 years on the ice, and it’s been an insane 11 years,” Liu said. “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.”
On March 1, 2024, Liu confirmed her comeback to skating via Instagram. She later explained the reasons for her return during the 2024-25 season.
“At the very start of this year, I went skiing for the first time. And I hadn’t felt that adrenaline rush, I guess, since I’d quit skating. It feels so similar to skiing. And so after I skied, I was like, ‘Wait, let me get on the ice and see what it feels like.’ At this point, I still wasn’t planning to return,” Liu said. “I just wanted to skate again because I hadn’t stepped on the ice since I last got off for my last show. I just wanted to get back on and see how skates felt, the whole thing. In that first session, I tried the double Axel, and I could do it. I was like, ‘Oh.'”
Liu went on to win a gold medal for Women’s figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Even after her win, Liu remained humble about her success during a press conference after the Olympics, explaining her true intentions for the win.
“I don’t need this,” Liu said. “But what I needed was the stage, and I got that, so I was all good no matter what happened.”
In an interview after the Olympics, her father, Arthur Liu, reflected on his regrets regarding his daughter’s retirement and what led up to it.
“I took her to Colorado Springs, and I left her there,’’ Liu’s father said. “During that period of time, I wasn’t there for her. She was upset, and she missed home. But then I was thinking, when I was 14, I went to boarding school. I survived. I felt like (Alysa) could survive this, too. But not knowing that she hated it. I did not know until she came home.’’
Arthur Liu also mentioned his reaction to his daughter’s long-awaited return to skating.
“She said, ‘I’m coming back. I’m going to do my terms,” Liu’s father said. “I was like, yes, go ahead and do it your own way. Because I mean, as a father, I love her and I want to support her. But there’s only this much I can do. I’m just one person.”
