When Alysa Liu retired from ice skating at just 16, it felt like the end of an era. After competing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and snagging a bronze medal at the World Championships later that year, she decided she was done — worn out from the intense demands of the sport. But turns out, it wasn’t goodbye forever. Fast forward three years, and Alysa is back with a bang! At 19, she made an epic return to the World Championships in Boston, where she claimed the women’s singles figure skating title. But it was all far from easy.
Her win made history, making her the first American woman to take the top spot since Kimmie Meissner in 2006. But coming back wasn’t as easy as lacing up her skates. Alysa revealed on Today that returning was tougher than stepping away. “Honestly, it was harder to come back than it was to leave,” she admitted. She faced internal conflict about going back to work, although she had previously planned her retirement over a year ahead.
“I had to think a lot about whether I really wanted to come back or not,” she shared. Her love for the sport, combined with her vision of her future life, drew her back toward the ice skating rink. Her positive perspective on the pathway she chose is confirmed by her impressive performance at Boston, which shows her she made the correct decision. Since completing the World Championships season, Alysa Liu maintains a positive mindset about her future competitions. Her approach is taking things day by day, but the Olympic Games are her long-term goal.
“I’m definitely still going day by day, but I think I’ll be skating until the Olympics for sure,” she said with a sparkle of excitement. This comeback was never about winning medals for Alysa but the opportunity to extend her boundaries. And the way she won was just wow!
Alysa Liu leaves the crowd on cloud nine with her performance
The return of Alysa Liu brought tremendous results because she delivered an impressive performance. She made a comeback at age 19 to the World Figure Skating Championships, and every person in attendance fell under her spell. With her short program set to Promise by Laufey and Dan Wilson, she performed for the TD Garden crowd, which resulted in a total crowd delight.
At 74.58 points, she achieved her top competitive scoring result, which effortlessly served as an extra delightful touch to her performance. Through outstanding jumps and graceful spinning, jaw-dropping choreography, Liu showed everyone she was ready to reclaim her position in skating with even more skill than before.
And because she loves to keep things fun, she threw in a spontaneous cartwheel during her introduction, because why not? Skating 18th out of 33, her score held up through the toughest competitors, leaving her in the perfect spot heading into the free skate. But Liu wasn’t done. When it mattered most, she delivered a flawless free skate that clinched the world title. With a score of 222.97, the 19-year-old created history by becoming the first American woman to win since Kimmie Meissner in 2006. She edged out Kaori Sakamoto and Mone Chiba, who are the first and second runner ups respectively. Liu’s fellow American Isabeau Levito, who battled a bone injury in her foot to finish fourth, and Amber Glenn finished fifth.
This comeback wasn’t just a feel-good story — it was a full-on mic drop moment. With her eyes now set on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, she’s skating with renewed passion and proving she belongs at the top. And when her coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali, met her at the boards with a quiet “welcome back,” it was clear — Alysa Liu’s return was the comeback no one saw coming, but everyone is loving.
The post Retired 3 Years Ago, Alysa Liu Makes Feelings Clear About World Championship Comeback appeared first on EssentiallySports.