Alysa Liu won gold in the Women’s Singles figure skating event at the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics, ending a 24 year gold medal drought for American figure skaters. She ended with a total score of 226.79, according to Yahoo Sports, with the score including a season-best 150.20 in the free skate.
Until Liu, American female figure skaters had failed to land a single gold medal at the Olympics since 2002. In regards to the gold medal drought, Mina Springmeyer, a Senior and former figure skater, commented, “Part of it has honestly been a lot of the Russian skaters. They’re very, very talented. I think that’s part of it, because they did win the last three Olympics in Women’s Figure Skating.”
In regards to why Liu was the person to end the drought, Springmeyer believes it’s “because she skates for herself.” Liu has indeed garnered attention for taking time off from the sport to prioritize her wellbeing, temporarily retiring at the age of 16. “Obviously, [it’s] because she’s [also] insanely talented and an amazing skater,” Springmeyer added.
Melanie Wang, a Sophomore at Skyline who watched Liu’s performance, believes Liu’s success can also be attributed to the fact that “she really didn’t have that much pressure.” Springmeyer agreed with this statement, saying, “I mean, with Ilia Malinin, he was the favorite to win. And because of that pressure, you know, it got in his head, and he ended up placing eighth, which is still amazing. But I think because [Liu] didn’t have that pressure from other people, and because she didn’t put it on herself, I think that’s really why she was able to go out there and do what she did.”
Ultimately, Springmeyer is thrilled that Liu won, though originally she was rooting for Kaori Sakamoto. She explained, “[Liu] always seems so happy, and her skating is just, I think it’s a wonderful combination between the gracefulness you get from some skaters and the power you get from other skaters.”
Going forward, Springmeyer and Wang are both excited to see what Malinin brings to American figure skating. In regards to who has some of the greatest potential on the team, Wang remarked, “I would say […] Ilia Malinin, because I think he physically has the ability to win gold. I think [however] his mindset, his nerves, are what got the best of him.”
“I think after this, he’s gonna come back and he’s gonna win it all again,” Springmeyer said. Wang also said, “I feel like Alysa also has a lot [of] potential, especially after she won gold.”
