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American figure skater Alysa Liu couldn’t be happier with how her free skate routine turned out, and the judges agreed as she won gold Thursday night at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.
Joy is an understatement for the 20-year-old who ended a 24-year gold drought for the Americans. But that’s exactly what the theme of her free skate was all about – the joy of being out on the ice in front of the crowd and the millions watching around the globe.
After her gold medal-winning 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 figure skating women’s single free skating final during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan on 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 messing up doesn’t take anything away from it. 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 that mindset, Liu can truly skate free without worrying about failure.
ALYSSA LIU BREAKS TEAM USA’S 24-YEAR OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL DROUGHT IN WOMEN’S ELSE
Instead, she wanted to work for the audience throughout the performance, specifically mentioning those in the building that were high up.
“I was trying to show off my dress – this is a new dress. I really like it,” added Liu, looking down at her gold dress, which seemed very appropriate given the results. “I was also focused on engaging with the audience. In between my transitions — they sit a little high up — I really took a moment to smile at them, give them a little shoulder. Engage with the crowd, and I did just that.”
Alysa Liu of the United States competes in the figure skating women’s single free skating final during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 19, 2026. (Gabriel BOUYS/AFP)
Liu’s joy beamed after completing the routine and erupted into a celebration where she couldn’t help but shout, “That’s what I’m talking about!” while she was with her team.
Liu finished with a 226.79 gold medal-winning score after recording 150.20 in the free skate and 76.59 in the short program. It was the best score Liu has collected all season.
While Liu was pleased with what she did on the ice, she still needed to see Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai finish their freestyle before she could see 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 medal in figure skating. Sarah Hughes was also the last gold medalist for the USA in 2002.
Gold medalist Alysa Liu of Team United States poses for a photo during the women’s singles figure skating medal ceremony on day thirteen of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milan Ice Skating Arena on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Prior to this performance, Liu quickly won the hearts of Americans after helping the United States win gold in the team event.
While Liu looks forward to performing at the Olympic gala, her competition in Milan has come to a happy end.
