Alysa Liu has added Teen Vogue cover star to a resume that already includes two Olympic gold medals, a World Championship title, and one of the most remarkable comeback stories in the history of American figure skating.
The 20-year-old was revealed as the cover star of Teen Vogue’s latest special issue on Wednesday, March 4.
Shot by photographer Erika Long, the cover features Liu in her signature style, whimsical barrettes clipped into her halo locks, graphic details, and the effortless cool that has made her as much a cultural conversation as a sports one.
Teen Vogue’s creative editorial director called it “the most magical shoot day of my life.” The official Teen Vogue account teased in the comments that “there’s more where this came from.”
Who Is Alysa Liu?
Alysa Liu is from Clovis, California, and her path to Olympic gold is unlike almost anyone else in her sport.
She started skating at age five because her father, Arthur Liu, a Chinese dissident who helped organize the Tiananmen Square student demonstrations in 1989 before fleeing to the United States, was a fan of legendary skater Michelle Kwan.
Arthur invested between $500,000 and $1 million in his daughter’s training over the years.
At 13, Liu became the youngest U.S. women’s figure skating champion in history in 2019, breaking a record previously held by Tara Lipinski.
She won the title again in 2020. She competed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics at just 16, finishing sixth.
Then, weeks after earning a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships in Montpellier, France, she announced her retirement.
“I started skating when I was 5 so that’s about 11 years on the ice,” she wrote at the time. “I made the decision for myself a while ago, way before the Olympics.” She later put it more plainly: after the bronze medal in Montpellier, she told Elle magazine, “Well, I did it. There’s nothing else holding me to this sport. Now, I’m free.”
During her two years away from skating, Liu did everything she had put on hold.
She got her driver’s license. She took road trips and went to concerts. She enrolled at UCLA to study psychology.
She hiked to Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal. She came back to the ice in 2024 entirely on her own terms.
What Did Alysa Liu Reveal In The Teen Vogue Cover Story?
In the cover story, Liu opened up about how she thinks about discomfort and pushing through resistance. “I love pushing myself,” she told Teen Vogue.
“There’s this thing called the aMCC in your brain, and it’s where willpower resides. I love doing stuff that I really don’t want to do, really hard things.”
That philosophy was visible at the Milan Cortina Games in February. While other competitors carried visible nerves onto the ice, Liu looked like she was having the time of her life.
On a March 2 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Andy Cohen asked her directly: “How were you so zenned out?” Her answer was characteristically Liu. “I mean, I love making mistakes,” she said with a smile. “I love falling. I also love landing and doing really well, so I feel like no matter what the outcome was, I was gonna be cool with it.”
She elaborated on that mindset in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com after her win.
“I was peak happiness when I was out there on the ice. Nothing could bring me higher than that.”
On the subject of her comeback and what the break gave her, she was equally clear:
“Taking a break and stepping back, gaining new perspective really helped me as a person and helped me understand myself. I got to explore new areas, new hobbies and interests. And that’s what life is all about.”
As for what happened immediately after winning Olympic gold — the most relatable detail of the entire cover story.
“After I won, there was no sleep. I went home, and I literally did whatever I wanted for five days,” she said. “I didn’t have any media, and I had no commitments, so it was really great. I got to see a lot of my friends again, and just relax and catch up on sleep. I skated twice just because I wanted to.” The celebration meal? Chinese food with friends.
Liu has also spoken on the record about what she tells parents who pressure their children into sports.
During a Today show appearance this week, her answer was one word: “Don’t. It does not work. The kid knows himself pretty well, and it’s just never good to force anything.”
What Is Next For Alysa Liu?
Liu has said she is open to competing at the 2030 Winter Games, though no decision has been made.
In the near term, fans can see her on the ice as part of the 2026 Stars on Ice Tour alongside fellow Olympic standouts Ilia Malinin, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Amber Glenn, and Isabeau Levito.
At the Milan Cortina Games, Liu became the first American woman to win an individual gold medal in figure skating in 24 years, ending a drought that stretched back to Sarah Hughes at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
She also helped Team USA win gold in the team event, giving her two medals from the Games.
American gymnast Aly Raisman, who was in the arena to watch Liu skate, summed it up simply afterward:
“Alysa’s just really breaking down that wall and showing that when you love something and you also love yourself, you have confidence in yourself and conviction and belief in what you’re doing — anything is possible.”
Liu herself said it best after winning:
“Human connection is what I’m all about. I love sisterhood. We’re all in this sport together, so we share the love.”
