Olympic Gold Skater Alysa Liu Skips Worlds for Self-Care

Alysa Liu just made history as America's first Olympic gold medalist in women's figure skating since 2002, but she won't be defending her world championship title this month.

At a celebration rally in Oakland on Thursday, the 19-year-old opened up about why she's sitting out the World Championships in Prague. "There's so many commitments I have and activities that are overlapping with worlds, and also I don't have much time training," Liu explained. "I don't think I'd put out my best performance."

The decision comes after an overwhelming surge of attention following her February Olympic win in Milan. Liu's Instagram following exploded from under 300,000 to more than 7.7 million in just weeks, an unprecedented jump for a figure skater.

"It's been crazy how much visibility I have right now," she said. "I would have never expected that, especially from a figure skater. We don't really blow up like that."

The attention hasn't all been positive. Liu recently shared on Instagram that a spectator chased her to her car at an airport, prompting her to ask fans for better boundaries. "All up in my personal space," she wrote. "Please do not do that to me."

Liu's journey to this moment hasn't been easy. She temporarily retired after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, with her father revealing she was "traumatized" and "suffering from PTSD." Before those Games, Liu and her father were allegedly targeted by a Chinese government spying operation because of his activist work.

But Liu came back. She returned to skating in 2024, and by March 2025 became the first American to win at World Championships in 19 years. Then she conquered the Olympics.

Why This Inspires

Liu's choice to step back at the peak of her powers sends a powerful message. In a sport that often demands athletes sacrifice everything, she's prioritizing her wellbeing over external expectations.

She's also being refreshingly honest about the challenges of sudden fame. "It's really just about staying offline," she said, modeling healthy boundaries for millions of young followers watching her navigate stardom.

At just 19, Liu has already retired once, come back, made history twice, and now knows when to pause. That wisdom usually takes decades to learn.

Her gold medal proved she's the best in the world, and stepping away from Prague proves she's skating on her own terms now.