MILAN, February 19, 2026 – Reigning world champion Alysa Liu brought the Milano Ice Skating Arena to its feet with a show stopping performance in the women’s single free skating final to clinch Olympic gold in one of the most remarkable stories of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The 20-year-old’s overwhelming joy flooded the arena as she unnervingly skated to “MacArthur Park” by Donna Summer in her glittering gold dress to cap a remarkable career comeback with a bold statement as she became the first US Olympic champion in women’s figure skating after Sarah Hughes at Salt Lake City 2002.
“I hope that with all this attention I can raise awareness about mental health in sports, and mental health more generally. I think my story is very cool. Hopefully, I can inspire some people.” Liu, from Clovis, California, told journalists after her victory.
With her dominant free skating score of 150.20, Liu, who was in third place after scoring 76.59 points in the short program, surged to the top step of the podium. Japanese three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto, in tears after her free skating performance, settled for silver to add to her individual bronze from Beijing 2022, while her compatriot, breakout star Ami Nakai, the surprise leader of the short program, took the bronze medal.
THE RETURNEE Following Liu’s energetic and captivating performance, which put the entire audience including IOC president Kirsty Coventry and honorary president Thomas Bach under her spell, one of the many signs held up by fans read: “Alysa, you make magic.” And it is that magic that has led to her quick rise to the summit following her return to competitive figure skating in March 2024. She also won the 2025 world championships and Grand Prix Final with the same free-spirited program. And now she has ended the USA’s two-decade medal drought in the event, becoming the first American woman to reach the Olympic podium since Sasha Cohen won silver in 2006.
Liu, who first burst onto the scene in 2019 as the youngest US national champion ever at age 13, retired shortly after competing in the 2022 Beijing Olympics at 16 due to burnout. But since her return she has been skating on her own terms, controlling her narrative and enjoying every moment on the ice while sharing her creative ideas which range from her song choice to fashion sense to her performance. “Human connection is the most important part of my story. Now I am connected with a hell of a ton of people. It’s an honour to perform,” said Liu who is eagerly looking forward to the Olympic gala on Saturday night.
During the two years she was away from the sport, keeping a low profile and enjoying college life, Liu, the oldest child of Chinese political activist Arthur Liu, found herself. “When Covid hit, that’s when I had my first ‘what to do with myself’ moment. It was like a ‘lightbulb’ moment. I was also going through puberty and my brain helped with that process (of understanding herself). A lot has happened in four years.”
As she returns home as a two-time Olympic gold medallist, having also helped USA win the team event, Liu, a psychology student at UCLA, said protecting her identity is her main goal. “I know what it’s like to not have that.”
THE VETERAN Kaori Sakamoto, who has said this will be her last competitive season, could not hide her frustration after her performance to La vie en rose/Non je ne regrette rien/Hymne a l’amour, even though she upgraded her bronze medal from Beijing to silver in Milan. The 25-year-old, whose short program was set to “Time to Say Goodbye,” accumulated a total of 224.90 points.
Participating in her third Olympics after PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022, the six-time Japanese champion from Kobe had hoped to bow out with a gold medal, having won a silver medal in the team event, where she beat Liu in both the short program and free skating. “At the last Olympic Games (Beijing 2022), it was a miracle that I received bronze. Four years later, here I am with a better medal. However, I feel frustrated and disappointed because I have tried so hard to win gold over the last four years.”
However, she now has a new dream: to nurture a future Olympic gold medallist.
THE ROOKIE Japanese phenom Ami Nakai finished 9th with 140.45 points in the free skating event with a beautiful interpretation of What a Wonderful World by Lexi Walker, The Piano Guys but her total score of 219.16 was enough to secure an Olympic medal on her debut.
“I didn’t expect to be at the Olympics but here I am wearing a medal. I think I can compete at the next two Olympics just like (three-time Olympian) Kaori Sakamoto has done,” said the 17-year-old high schooler, who was the youngest of the 24 skaters in the field.
Calm and composed beyond her years, Nakai, who finished 4th at last year’s Japanese nationals, has been sensational in the 2025-26 figure skating season – her first as a senior. She is the 2025-26 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, 2026 Four Continents silver medalist, 2025 Grand Prix de France champion and 2025 Skate Canada bronze medalist.
AIPS Media
