U.S. Star Figure Skater Alysa Liu Announces Retirement at 16 Years Old

Her whirlwind career includes U.S. figure skating titles in her first two years as a teenager, memorable Olympics debut and a bronze medal at the world championships.

Retiring from by choice is rare within the athletic community, as oftentimes injury or age ending their career. But for U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu, she decided it was her time at just 16 years old. 

Liu said she’s had “insane 11 years” years on the ice with “a lot of good and a lot of bad.”

“i honestly never thought i would’ve accomplished as much as i did.”

Liu went on to say that “now that i’m finally done with my goals in skating i’m going to be moving on with my life.” She won her first senior U.S title in 2019 as a 13-year-old, becoming the youngest woman to do so individually. She repeated the feat the following year. 

Although she tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the second of her two programs at the 2022 national championships, Liu was named to the ’22 Olympic team. 

During her Olympic debut in Beijing, Liu finished eighth in the short program and seventh in the free skate, three spots ahead of the next American skater. Her whirlwind career continued to rise, snagging a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships in March. The competition was Liu’s first at the senior level, and she made U.S. history, becoming the first woman skater to snag a medal since ’16. 

So what is next for the young star? 

“i’m probably just gonna spend all my spare time with my family and friends; and i’m also going to study,” Liu said on her Instagram post.