A carefree, joyous, gold-medal performance proves it: There’s no one in figure skating like Alysa Liu
Milan, Italy
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After she finished her free skate, the house coming down all around her, Alysa Liu gave her ponytail a flick, stuck the toe of her skate into the ice and turned to take her bow.
Before she did, she dramatically brought both of her arms up and wiped her hands, as if to say, “Well, that’s done. Time to go hit a karaoke bar.”
Ordinarily, the only chill in figure skating emanates from the ice itself. Sports are inherently fraught with tension, but some seem preordained to it more than others.
Figure skating asks a singular athlete to stand alone on an ice rink. Nowhere to hide. No teammates to lean on. Literal bright lights bearing down on them, with the gaze of thousands of eyes as they twirl through spins and power through jumps. The tiniest twitch on either means nothing less than the difference between lifetime immortality and lifetime infamy. Smiles, if they show up at all, usually come in two packages: Forced or exhaled relief.
This very ice has chewed up and spit out its fair share of competitors in the last two weeks. After a devastating free skate that knocked him out of what seemed an assured medal, Ilia Malinin has pledged that his old self is now nothing more than “dust,’’ and he will leave these Olympics a changed person. As if the wide-eyed innocent who arrived here has been hardened. After a similarly disastrous short program, Amber Glenn did not merely cry in the kiss and cry; she sobbed.
Meanwhile, there is Liu. As she came to a stop on her final layback spin, the appropriate gold of her dress shimmering and spinning along with her, the first American woman to win a figure skating gold in 24 years looked happy.
That’s it. Beautifully, ordinarily contentedly happy. No tears. No doubled over at the waist. Just an impish grin and a wave to the crowd.
Then, as the final skater, Ami Nakai sat to wait for her scores – which would determine if Liu were a silver or gold medalist – she just hung out. Grinned at the camera and waved. Hopped out of the leader’s chair to chat with Glenn.
When those scores finally revealed Liu as the gold medalist, the first thing she did was make a beeline one platform over, whereupon she grabbed Nakai out of her kiss-and-cry chair and lofted her up in a bear hug.
And when she was finally introduced to receive her gold medal, dashing through a tunnel and onto the ice, Liu actually mouthed, “What the heck?” On the podium, she seemed more concerned in ensuring that the two mascot stuffed animals were appropriately tucked in with her medal than absorbing the enormity of the moment.
Later, in what can only be qualified as a series of non-sequiturs more than an interview, Liu stopped talking about how much she loved her new dress and how excited she was to wear something totally new in the upcoming gala, and how cool her friends were, and how it was so nice that her dress kinda matched her hair, to answer a very serious question.
How, she was asked, did she handle the Olympic pressure?
To which Liu responded, straight-faced and finally dead serious. “You’re going to have to explain to me what Olympic pressure is. Like, who’s giving it? What’s the pressure?’’
winning the freeski halfpipe on February 20.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1421″ width=”2131″ loading=’lazy’/>
rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Finland 3-2 in the seminfinals.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2418″ width=”3627″ loading=’lazy’/>
winning the women’s speedskating 1500m on February 20. She is the fifth straight winner from the Netherlands to win gold in the event.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2927″ width=”4390″ loading=’lazy’/>
first American to claim gold in the event since 2002.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1592″ width=”2388″ loading=’lazy’/>
winning gold in women’s hockey against Canada on Thursday, February 19. The US won 2-1 i overtime.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1600″ width=”2400″ loading=’lazy’/>
a redemptive routine after a disappointing skate in Tuesday’s short program.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”5504″ width=”8256″ loading=’lazy’/>
2-1 overtime victory over Sweden on February 19.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2135″ width=”3202″ loading=’lazy’/>
He won gold after setting an Olympic record with a time of 1:41.98. US speedskating star Jordan Stolz won silver.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1287″ width=”1931″ loading=’lazy’/>
won gold in the sport’s Olympics debut.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3485″ width=”5228″ loading=’lazy’/>
winning the women’s slalom, on Wednesday, February 18, ending her eight-year Olympic drought. She won with a time of 1:39.10 — 1.5 seconds faster than second place.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3034″ width=”4551″ loading=’lazy’/>
the winning goal in the men’s hockey quarterfinal game against Sweden on February 18.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2317″ width=”3476″ loading=’lazy’/>
Czechoslovakian wolfdog named Nazgul runs alongside Tena Hadzic from Croatia in the women’s cross-country team sprint on February 18.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1402″ width=”2103″ loading=’lazy’/>
500m short track speed skating on February 18.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3484″ width=”5226″ loading=’lazy’/>
the winning goal in overtime against the Czech Republic.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2382″ width=”3573″ loading=’lazy’/>
win gold in the men’s cross-country team sprint on February 18.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2762″ width=”4143″ loading=’lazy’/>
women’s freeski aerials on February 18.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2822″ width=”4233″ loading=’lazy’/>
Sweden won 5-1, setting up a quarterfinal clash with Team USA.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”5017″ width=”7526″ loading=’lazy’/>
He won gold in the event, which was delayed due to the weather.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2997″ width=”4496″ loading=’lazy’/>
her routine in the short program on February 17. She failed to complete her triple loop, and her score put her in 13th place, all but ending her hopes of a gold medal.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1458″ width=”2067″ loading=’lazy’/>
win gold, his second of these Games.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2092″ width=”3138″ loading=’lazy’/>
They won gold, Japan’s first medal in Olympic pair skating.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1067″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>
Canada won 2-1 to clinch their spot in the gold medal game against the US.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”4667″ width=”7000″ loading=’lazy’/>
women’s freestyle skiing big air finals on February 16.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2686″ width=”4028″ loading=’lazy’/>
her first gold medal, tying speed skating legend Bonnie Blair as the most decorated female US Winter Olympian ever. Meyers Taylor won three silvers and two bronzes in her four previous Olympics.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1995″ width=”2887″ loading=’lazy’/>
Austria won gold after the final round was canceled because of heavy snowfall.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”4529″ width=”6791″ loading=’lazy’/>
The United States won 5-0.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3787″ width=”5680″ loading=’lazy’/>
her second gold of the Games.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”4266″ width=”6399″ loading=’lazy’/>
She later won silver in the event.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3183″ width=”4774″ loading=’lazy’/>
most decorated Winter Olympian ever.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3621″ width=”5431″ loading=’lazy’/>
despite Olympic tradition to avoid brawls.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3410″ width=”5115″ loading=’lazy’/>
He made history by securing the first ever medal at a Winter Games for Brazil — and South America.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1332″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
A shocking performance that included two falls and some technical gaffes saw him fall all the way to eighth place.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2035″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
He won gold after setting the bar incredibly high at 95.00 in his second run.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3383″ width=”5074″ loading=’lazy’/>
throw them on the rink as a sign of appreciation.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3841″ width=”5762″ loading=’lazy’/>
his third gold medal of these Games.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2534″ width=”3801″ loading=’lazy’/>
He would go on to win the gold.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3333″ width=”5000″ loading=’lazy’/>
gold-medal win in snowboard cross on February 13.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2170″ width=”3259″ loading=’lazy’/>
finished second this time behind South Korea’s Choi Ga-on.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2074″ width=”3222″ loading=’lazy’/>
Heraskevych was disqualified for “refusing to adhere” to the International Olympic Committee’s athlete expression guidelines since his helmet is adorned with images of Ukrainian athletes killed in Russian attacks. Kirsty Coventry, the president of the International Olympic Committee, met with Heraskevych to try to convince him to adhere to the guidelines, but the Ukrainian stood his ground, resulting in the disqualification.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”5504″ width=”8256″ loading=’lazy’/>
the oldest American to compete in the Winter Games.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”4000″ width=”6000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Hämmerle narrowly won, sliding over the finish line just ahead of Grondin.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1705″ width=”2556″ loading=’lazy’/>
Lollobrigida won the 5,000 meters and collected her second gold of these Olympics. Conijn won silver and Wiklund took the bronze.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2431″ width=”3524″ loading=’lazy’/>
he proposed at the finish line area of the super-G race on February 12.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2748″ width=”4122″ loading=’lazy’/>
winning her second cross-country gold of these Games.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3760″ width=”5653″ loading=’lazy’/>
setting an Olympic record in the 1,000 meters on Wednesday, February 11. He finished with a time of 1:06.28 and took the gold.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3293″ width=”4600″ loading=’lazy’/>
took silver with France winning.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2596″ width=”3894″ loading=’lazy’/>
their 4-1 victory over Finland on February 11. It was the opening game of the men’s hockey tournament.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”4269″ width=”6404″ loading=’lazy’/>
She won the event to claim her second gold of these Games.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1124″ width=”1580″ loading=’lazy’/>
competes in halfpipe qualifying on February 11. Kim won halfpipe gold in the last two Olympics.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1263″ width=”1894″ loading=’lazy’/>
Von Allmen won his third gold of these Olympics. He also won gold in the downhill and the team combined event.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”4747″ width=”7120″ loading=’lazy’/>
The Americans finished 1-2 in the moguls, with Lemley winning gold.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3859″ width=”5682″ loading=’lazy’/>
placed fourth.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1333″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
the United States’ largest victory in the longstanding Olympic rivalry with Canada.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1600″ width=”2400″ loading=’lazy’/>
a jaw-dropping performance that included his trademark backflip.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1628″ width=”2400″ loading=’lazy’/>
made history as the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in curling.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1576″ width=”2400″ loading=’lazy’/>
cross-country sprint classic on February 10.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1334″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
were killed in a midair plane crash last winter.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2271″ width=”2956″ loading=’lazy’/>
Swedish sweep of medals in the event.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2679″ width=”3975″ loading=’lazy’/>
winning gold in the big air final on Monday, February 9.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2850″ width=”4276″ loading=’lazy’/>
winning the 1,000 meters with an Olympic record time on February 9. She finished in 1:12.31, breaking the record that her Dutch teammate Femke Kok set just minutes earlier.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2577″ width=”3865″ loading=’lazy’/>
the mixed doubles semifinals.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3194″ width=”4792″ loading=’lazy’/>
his helmet adorned with images of Ukrainian athletes killed in Russian attacks. He was disqualified days later.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2596″ width=”3895″ loading=’lazy’/>
together they won the gold.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1321″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
She won gold in the event for the second straight Olympics.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3729″ width=”5414″ loading=’lazy’/>
He went on win the event.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2316″ width=”3474″ loading=’lazy’/>
Vonn fractured her left leg in the crash, which came just a little more than a week after she tore the ACL in that same leg.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”990″ width=”1485″ loading=’lazy’/>
winning gold in the women’s downhill on February 8.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3656″ width=”5484″ loading=’lazy’/>
winning gold together on February 8. From left are Evan Bates, Madison Chock, Danny O’Shea, Ellie Kam, Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and Ilia Malinin.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1600″ width=”2400″ loading=’lazy’/>
Malinin’s high score at the end of the event secured the gold for Team USA.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3647″ width=”5131″ loading=’lazy’/>
celebrates with his shirt off after winning the parallel giant slalom on February 8. He said it was a tribute to his hero, skiing legend Hermann Maier. Maier would often celebrate his victories by ripping off his top.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”4316″ width=”6603″ loading=’lazy’/>
France went on to win the gold in the event.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1681″ width=”2522″ loading=’lazy’/>
the demonstration turned violent as some protesters targeted police and their vans, and officials responded with tear gas and water cannons.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2016″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Lollobrigida finished with an Olympic record time of 3:54.28.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
the 10km + 10km skiathlon on February 7.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2114″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>
See more photos from the opening ceremony.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3601″ width=”5401″ loading=’lazy’/>
Her medley, in both Italian and English, included the Italian song “Valore” and her song “Nothing Is Impossible.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”5099″ width=”7649″ loading=’lazy’/>
The best photos of the 2026 Winter Olympics
And therein lies the secret to Alysa Liu.
Once chewed up by the machine of expectation and found guilty of the eternal athletic sin of having too much talent too soon, Liu has since learned how to spit back rather than be spit out.
Her skating is on her terms – her music, her choreography, her practice schedule, her dresses and most of all, her joy.
It is an extraordinary thing to retire at anything at the age of 16. Maybe extraordinary isn’t quite right. It’s absurd.
Who in the world has either achieved so much or been beaten up so badly to need to quit at 16?
Yet that was Liu. She won the US Nationals at 13, such a tiny little thing that they had to help her up to the podium. By 16, she was an Olympian and in her World Championship debut in 2022, she became the first American to medal there since 2016.
Her skating world, the one she first walked into at the age of five, suddenly opened up before her. And that’s when Alysa Liu quit.
She says now that someday she’ll go through all of the gory details of her decision – “I hope people will read my story, even though it’s not full out,” she said with a smile. “But one day it will be.” It’s not hard to fill in the blanks with an age-old story of a prodigy shoehorned into a box only to find the box didn’t quite fit.
Liu is like a bubble you don’t want to pop, floating around from topic to topic with the goofy giddiness that every happy, well-adjusted 20-year-old ought to possess. When she talks to reporters, she says, “You guys,’’ as if they are her buds, and when asked about joining the exclusive sorority of Olympic female champions, acts like any kid would when handed a menu at a far-fancier restaurant than they are prepared to order from.
“I mean, I guess it’s a club? Maybe?” she says. “Wow.”
“Quad God” reflects on missing out on singles Gold
“Quad God” reflects on missing out on singles Gold
3:29
But she has had to fight to reclaim that identity, to figure out what she likes – karaoke bars, video games, fashion, art, music, piercings, psychology – so she could become who she is.
Figure skating wasn’t what Liu did; it’s who she was. Born not long after Michelle Kwan won her fifth world title, Liu started skating at five, guided by her father, who knew nothing about the sport but plenty about Kwan. She had a natural affinity for it – a sort of fearlessness combined with power and grace that put her on the trajectory to be the next best thing.
And it’s not that she didn’t want it; she just wasn’t sure if she wanted it because she never really thought about whether she wanted it or not. It just happened. Which is how a person – an outgoing, strong-willed, ebullient person comes to retire at 16.
Full stop. Clean break. Meant to be forever.
Liu went out and did what most of us would consider nothing special. Went to karaoke bars with her pals. Played video games. Enrolled in college. Tinkered with fashion as a means of personal expression. Pierced her labial frenulum – which most people can’t locate, let alone want to pierce – to give herself permanent mouth bling.
When she opted to come back to skating, well, that was the important part. She opted to come back to skating. She wanted it, and there, suddenly, she found the sweet part. This expressive, effusive soul could finally use skating to effusively express her soul.
That she won a gold medal now is no accident. She is a far better skater than the tiny child who won a national title in 2013. It is not because she can jump higher and better but because when she skates, her heart is in it.
Watching Liu skate is to watch someone lost in a beautiful moment that she created. Her free skate here, done to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park,” was so dazzling you forgot she was on skates. It was like watching someone float across the ice, the collection of jumps almost like little exclamation points buried into the melody.
The wait to the finish felt interminable. Figure skating is like a pageant wrapped in a game show with a little bit of reality show thrown in. Because she finished third in the short program, Liu skated third from last in the free skate. Both women in front of her – Nakia and Kaori Sakomoto – had a cushion in points and could have easily knocked Liu from the top spot.
As each skated and waited for their scores to post, the crowd tittered with nervous unease. Everyone, that is, except Liu.
“What was I thinking?” she said. “Hmm. What was I thinking? I mean, it’s pretty fast-paced and I love to watch Ami skate and I had a really cool front-row seat.’’
When Nakia’s scores posted – pushing her into bronze position – the arena erupted. But Liu took it all in stride. Eventually, she made the rounds with an American flag draped around her shoulders. She posed for the requisite picture, biting on her medal. She waved to the crowd. She smiled. She took pictures, did interviews, all the things that a gold medalist does.
But later, as she answered questions in the media scrum, she considered the gold medal around her neck that blended so perfectly with the gold in her dress.
“I didn’t need a medal,’’ she said. “If I fell on every jump, I would still be out there wearing this dress, so no matter what, I was all good.’’
