Topline
Olympic figure skating gold medalist Alysa Liu says she spent much of her childhood chasing wins and other people’s approval before retiring at 16, but returned to the sport after realizing she wanted to skate on her own terms, finding more joy in training than competition.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 10: Alysa Liu attends the Forbes Power Women’s Summit 2026 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on September 10, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Liu, 21, said at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit on Thursday she retired from figure skating at 16 because she had “won on other people’s terms” from ages 5 to 14, focusing all of her energy on winning competitions and pleasing her father and coach.
Liu, who became the youngest U.S. women’s national champion at 13, stepped away from skating in 2022 after competing in the Beijing Winter Olympics and ISU World Figure Skating Championships.
She returned in 2024, winning the 2025 World Championships and gold in women’s singles and the team event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics Games, but announced in August she would sit out the 2026-27 competitive season to recalibrate, with plans to return for 2027-28.
Liu said stepping away earlier in her career helped her realize she “had a passion for [figure skating], it wasn’t someone else’s passion,” so she returned focused more on training than winning competitions.
Liu said she now uses competitions as an “excuse” to train, because working hard and improving has become her favorite part of the process.
KEY BACKGROUND
The fourteenth annual Forbes Power Women’s Summit took place in New York City on Thursday, bringing together some of the world’s most influential women in business, leadership, entrepreneurship and philanthropy for candid conversations about how women are shaping industries, business, technology and society. This year’s speakers include Chanel Global CEO Leena Nair; actress, producer and cofounder of Once Upon a Farm Jennifer Garner; and Serena Williams, tennis legend and founder of Serena Ventures.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“You have to know what your terms are to win on your own terms,” said Liu in conversation with Ali Truwit, paralympic swimmer, advocate and founder of Stronger Than You Think, and Forbes Assistant Managing Editor Steven Bertoni.
FURTHER READING
The Winter Olympics, Alysa Liu, And Lessons In Leadership (Forbes)
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