Alysa Liu gets candid about retirement before Olympic gold

Alysa Liu after a figure skating performance at Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy

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Matthew Couden

By Matthew Couden

Contributing Writer

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United States figure skater Alysa Liu captured plenty of spotlight at the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, last month, winning two gold medals and becoming a champion in her sport.

Liu claimed gold in the women's singles figure skating competition, besting her opponents, who included Japan's Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai, and her USA teammate Amber Glenn. Liu's 150.20 was the best of the group, with Sakamoto claiming silver and Nakai bronze.

Along with that, the 20-year-old Liu won a gold medal in the team event at the Olympics, which included the USA's sensational figure skaters Ilia Malinin, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Danny O'Shea, Ellie Kam, and Glenn.

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However, Liu's story involved a comeback after she retired from the sport four years ago. She spoke on this topic, among others, during her recent appearances on morning television shows.

Alysa Liu after a figure skating performance at Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy

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While on NBC's "Today" with hosts Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin, and Carson Daly, Liu was asked whether she believes she would've been able to achieve what she did in Italy if not for her comeback journey.

"Hell no," she told the hosts, laughing, before adding, "Definitely not. I'm really glad with how it all turned out, and I'm glad I could show three incredible programs I'm really proud of on an Olympic stage."

Liu originally debuted at 16 in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, placing seventh overall in the individual event. After the results, she admitted her goal had been to compete at the Olympics, and she was happy with her performance after all of her training.

Later that year, she shared on her Instagram (per NBC Sports) that she decided to retire from figure skating officially and would be “moving on with her life” after accomplishing the goals she’d wanted to achieve.

However, that was short-lived as she revealed her comeback from retirement just a few years later. While speaking in another segment with Al Roker and Dylan Dreyer, she said she wouldn't tell her younger self anything, as she would want her younger self to go through the journey just as it unfolded.

The way her journey occurred worked in her favor. This year in Italy, Liu became the first American women's figure skater to win gold at the Winter Olympics in 20 years.

The United States' Sarah Hughes previously captured gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, following in the footsteps of 1998 gold medalist Tara Lipinski.

Liu indicated during her morning show interviews that she's continuing to receive an outpouring of love and congratulations from people everywhere after winning gold, and that she's "really grateful" for all of it.

In addition to admitting she's been on the ice for a little bit of skating, she also said she believes sports are all about "doing our best, pushing ourselves together," and celebrating others' achievements, which is why she often shows support for her teammates and opponents at events.