Olympic Gold Medalist Alysa Liu Returns to St. Louis

The figure skater who quit at the top is now an Olympic champion, and she did it by choosing happiness over medals.

Alysa Liu became America's national skating champion at just 13 years old. But three years later, the pressure crushed her spirit so completely that she walked away from the sport entirely.

She spent two years just being a teenager. Then a ski trip reminded her what she'd been missing: the pure rush of athletic joy.

Liu returned to skating in 2024, but this time on her own terms. She reduced stress and focused on exploring what the sport could be when it wasn't suffocating her.

"My goals are just to be the best I can be in skating," Liu explained last spring. "There's just so much more in skating that I want to explore."

That mindset carried her to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, where she became the first American woman to win figure skating gold in 24 years. Her performances captivated millions who watched her glide across the ice with confidence and pure joy.

Olympic legend Tara Lipinski noticed something special during Liu's gold medal performance. "She's figured out how to compete without carrying the weight of it," Lipinski said on the NBC broadcast. "That's a secret every athlete wants to solve."

Now Liu returns to St. Louis Thursday for the Stifel Stars on Ice at Enterprise Center. The city holds special meaning for her comeback story since she competed there at January's National Championships just weeks before the Olympics.

"Forever, St. Louis is going to be a core memory for me," Liu said. "It's where I did my Lady Gaga program before the Olympics. I got my hair done there. I tried so many cookies there. St. Louis was a great time."

She's bringing fellow Olympic medalists including Ilia Malinin and ice dancing silver medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates. The show offers something competition can't: pure artistry without pressure.

Why This Inspires

Liu's philosophy challenges everything we think about elite athletics. When asked about seeking happiness, she offered unexpected wisdom: "Don't try to seek it. Because negatives can sometimes surprise us and turn out to be positives."

Her advice to young people? "Trust the process and always stay curious. Try new things whenever possible."

By walking away from skating when it stopped bringing joy, then returning only when she could do it her way, Liu discovered something more valuable than early success: sustainable excellence built on genuine passion.