She had skates, halo hair, and a dream. Alysa Liu made history by winning gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but her journey back to the sport reveals a more powerful story about choosing yourself. Alysa Liu, known in the ice skating community for her alternative style and rhythmic skills, won her first gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics after skating to “MacArthur Park Suite” by Donna Summer and to “Promise“ by Laufey in her short program. Liu, born on August 8th, 2005, has been skating since age 5, and her lifelong dream of making a name for herself was finally realized at only age 20.
At only 12 years old, she won the U.S. Junior Championships. This was only the beginning of her accomplishments over the next 8 years. At age 13, she became the youngest U.S. senior women’s champion while incorporating triple axels in her skating program. Only three years later, she competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, placing 6th. Later that year, she announced her retirement due to burnout and stress from pressure over the past couple of years. She stated that she was only a 16-year-old teenager who desired a normal life. In the couple of years she was away, she attended UCLA, traveled, rebuilt relationships with her family, and adjusted to a casual, normal life. In March of 2024, she announced her return after realizing that ice skating was her lifelong passion and she could not give that up. In interviews, she has stated that her comeback was on her own terms: “No one’s gonna starve me or tell me what I can and can’t eat.” In 2025, she won the World Championships with the program she presented, set to Laufey’s song “Promise”. In 2026, she competed in the Winter Olympics again and won gold.
Before receiving the gold, Alysa Liu was shown a video of Laufey acknowledging and praising her for curating such a beautiful performance of her song. This was the second time Laufey had publicly interacted with Alysa. The song “Promise” is a wistful ballad about the inability to move on from someone or something you once loved, and about promising yourself it’s best to let go. Liu has stated that this song captures her feelings about ice skating when she first decided to retire. While she was fully in love with her sport, the toxic environment became too much for her to handle after over 10 years of managers making it feel as if skating was being forced on her rather than being her own choice. Although she had already returned to the sport, she still felt depressed knowing that she had been pushed to that point. The song was a tribute to her love of skating and to the fact that following her dream was worth it. Once Laufey found out her song was being used, she “crowned” Liu as best-dressed at her A Matter of Time tour concert. She presented and introduced her to the fans at the concert and praised her performance.
At the 2026 Olympics, Liu decided to perform the program once again to show her love and dedication towards skating. Her managers contacted Laufey and asked her to record a video congratulating Liu on her dedication. The message inspired Alysa even more, reminding her that her journey had always been about passion and self-expression. Winning a gold medal was not just a victory in a sport, but a celebration of determination and returning to what she loves on her own terms.
