US figure skater Alysa Liu on how joy helped her get Olympic gold

American figure skater Alysa Liu couldn’t be happier with the outcome of her free skate routine, and the judges agreed when she won gold Thursday night at the Milan Cortina 2026 Games.

Joy is an understatement for the 20-year-old who ended a 24-year gold drought for the Americans. But that’s exactly the theme of his free skate: the joy of being on the ice in front of the crowd and the millions of people watching around the world.

After her gold medal performance, Liu explained the story she wanted to tell with her skate.

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Alysa Liu of the United States reacts after competing in the women’s singles free skating final during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, February 19, 2026. (WANG Zhao / AFP)

“What I like to share about myself is my story, my art and my creative process,” she told NBC News. “I guess screwing it up doesn’t take away from that. It’s still something, it’s still a story. A bad story is still a story, and I think that’s beautiful.

“There is no way to lose.”

With this mindset, Liu can truly skate freely, without worrying about failure.

ALYSSA LIU BREAKS TEAM USA’S 24-YEAR-OLD OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN WOMEN’S FIGURE SKATING

Instead, she wanted to work the crowd throughout the performance, specifically mentioning those higher up in the building.

“I was trying to show off my dress – it’s a new dress. I really like it,” Liu added, looking down at her gold dress which looked very fitted considering the results. “I was also focused on engaging with the audience. In between my transitions – they’re sitting up a little bit – I really took a moment to smile at them, give them a little shoulder. Engage with the crowd, and that’s exactly what I did.”

Alysa Liu of the United States competes in the women’s singles free skating final during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, February 19, 2026. (Gabriel BOUYS/AFP)

Liu’s joy radiated after completing the routine, turning into a celebration where she couldn’t help but shout, “This is what I’m talking about!,” while she was with her team.

Liu finished with a score of 226.79 for the gold medal after scoring 150.20 in the free skate and 76.59 in the short program. This is the best score Liu has achieved all season.

Although Liu was happy with what she did on the ice, she still had to watch Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai complete their free skate before seeing what the final results would be.

In the end, Liu came out on top, becoming the first American woman since Sasha Cohen at the 2006 Turin Games to win a medal in singles figure skating. Sarah Hughes was also the last gold medalist for the United States in 2002.

Gold medalist Alysa Liu of Team USA poses for a photo during the women’s individual skating medal ceremony on the thirteenth day of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Milan Ice Rink on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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Prior to this performance, Liu quickly captured the hearts of Americans after helping the United States win gold in the team event.

While Liu is looking forward to performing at the Olympic gala, her competition in Milan ended happily.

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