Alysa Liu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alysa Liu
Liu during her free skate at 2024 Skate Canada International
Born	(2005-08-08) August 8, 2005 (age 19) Clovis, California
Education	University of California, Los Angeles
Personal information Country represented  United States Home town Richmond, California Height 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in) Coach Phillip DiGuglielmo Massimo Scali Skating club St. Moritz Skating Club, Oakland Began skating 2010
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	劉美賢
Simplified Chinese	刘美贤
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Liú Měixián

Alysa Liu (born August 8, 2005) is an American figure skater. She is known for her amazing jumps. Alysa won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Figure Skating Championships. She also won two U.S. national championships in 2019 and 2020.

When she was 16, Alysa competed in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, finishing sixth. As a junior skater, she won a bronze medal at the 2020 World Junior Figure Skating Championships. She also earned a silver medal at the 2019–20 Junior Grand Prix Final.

Alysa made history as the youngest U.S. women's national champion at age 13. A year later, at 14, she became the youngest skater to win two senior national titles. She was the first American woman to land a triple Axel in an international junior competition. She was also the first American woman to land a quadruple jump. In 2019, Time magazine named her to their "100 Next" list.

Alysa Liu's Early Life and Family

Alysa Liu was born on August 8, 2005, in Clovis, California. She is the oldest of five children. Her father, Arthur Liu, is an attorney who came to the U.S. from China. Alysa and her siblings were born with the help of an anonymous egg donor and a surrogate mother. They call Yan "Mary" Qingxin their mom.

In March 2022, it was reported that Alysa and her father were targeted by spies. Her father had left China as a political refugee. He was worried for Alysa's safety when she competed in Beijing. But the U.S. State Department promised to protect her. So, she was able to compete.

In fall 2023, Alysa started studying psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Alysa's Skating Career

Starting Out in Skating

Alysa started skating at age five. Her father was a big fan of Michelle Kwan. Alysa took group lessons with her first coach, Laura Lipetsky. She quickly moved to individual lessons.

In 2015, as a young skater, she placed seventh at a regional competition. At the 2016 U.S. Championships, she became the youngest female skater to win the intermediate gold medal. She won by a very small margin.

In 2017, she competed in the novice category at the U.S. Championships. She was in first place after the short program. But she fell to fourth place after the long program.

Junior Skating Achievements

Becoming a Junior National Champion

Alysa started her 2017–18 season with a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Figure Skating Trophy. She was the youngest skater in the junior division at the 2018 U.S. Championships. She won the competition even though she was sick. She scored very high points, almost 18 points more than the silver medalist. Even though she won, she was too young to compete at the World Junior Championships.

Making History with Jumps

In August 2018, Alysa won gold at the 2018 Asian Figure Skating Trophy. She landed a triple Axel in her free skate. This made her the youngest skater ever to do a clean triple Axel in competition. She was also the fourth American female skater to achieve this.

World Junior Bronze and Junior Grand Prix Silver

Alysa's first competition in the 2019–2020 season was the Aurora Games. She became the first American female skater to land a quadruple Lutz in a competition, though it wasn't an official ISU event.

Liu at 2019 JGP United States

She made her official international debut at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Lake Placid in August 2019. She set a new personal best score in her short program. In her long program, she became the first American female skater to land a quadruple Lutz in an official competition. She also became the first female skater to land both a quadruple jump and a triple Axel in the same program. She won the event by a large margin.

Alysa then competed at the Junior Grand Prix in Poland. She came from behind to win the event. She landed a triple Axel-triple toe loop combination, which was a first in Junior Grand Prix history. She qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final.

At the 2019–20 Junior Grand Prix Final, Alysa won the silver medal. She placed first in the short program. In her long program, she tried two quadruple Lutzes and a triple Axel, but they were judged as under-rotated. She told reporters she wished she had only tried one quad.

Alysa then competed at her first World Junior Championships. She won the bronze medal. She landed a triple Axel-triple toe loop combination in her short program. In her long program, she landed six triple jumps.

After this season, Alysa's father decided she would work with new coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali.

A Season of Growth and Change

The 2020–21 season was challenging for Alysa. Many international competitions were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also had a growth spurt, which made her jumps harder. She placed fourth at the 2021 U.S. Championships. She did not attempt a triple Axel or a quad in this competition.

Senior Skating Career

First National Title and Senior Debut

Even though she was young, Alysa was allowed to compete at the senior level at the 2019 U.S. Championships. On January 25, 2019, she broke Tara Lipinski's record. She became the youngest skater to win the U.S. senior women's title at age 13. She was also the youngest female skater to land a triple Axel at the U.S. Nationals. She completed three triple Axels in the competition.

After Nationals, Alysa worked on her skating skills with Italian skater Carolina Kostner and choreographer Massimo Scali.

Winning a Second National Title

Alysa was the favorite to win at the 2020 U.S. Championships. She placed second in the short program. She then won the free skate with her best score ever, 160.12 points. Her total score was 235.52 points. She landed two triple Axels and six other triple jumps. At 14, Alysa became the youngest two-time women's U.S. champion. She was also the first woman in seven years to win back-to-back U.S. championships.

World Bronze, Olympics, and Retirement

Liu finishing her short program at the 2022 World Championships

Alysa made her senior international debut at the Cranberry Cup in August 2021. She won the competition. She then won the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy and the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. Winning at Nebelhorn helped the U.S. secure a third spot for American women at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

At her first senior Grand Prix event, the 2021 Skate Canada International, she placed fifth. She then finished fourth at the 2021 NHK Trophy.

At the 2022 U.S. Championships, Alysa placed third in the short program. But she had to withdraw because she tested positive for COVID-19. Despite this, she was chosen for the 2022 U.S. Winter Olympic team. She was the youngest athlete on the team.

Liu during her free skate at the 2022 World Championships

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Alysa placed eighth in the short program and moved up to seventh in the free skate. She said she was "still in shock at how well I did." She was invited to skate at the exhibition gala. An American ice dancer, Jean-Luc Baker, helped choreograph a program for her on the spot to the K-pop song "Loco" by Itzy.

At the 2022 World Championships, Alysa won the bronze medal. She placed fifth in the short program and rose to third in the free skate. She became the first American woman to win a medal at the World Championships since Ashley Wagner in 2016.

Liu performing her gala exhibition at the 2022 World Championships

On April 9, 2022, Alysa announced on Instagram that she was retiring from figure skating. She said she felt satisfied with her career and had achieved her goals. She explained that skating took up her whole life, and there were times she didn't enjoy it. Her former coach said she felt she had kept her promise to her father and the skating community.

Returning to Competition in 2024

Liu performing a spiral during her short program at 2024 Skate Canada International

On March 1, 2024, Alysa posted a video on Instagram, hinting at her return for the 2024-25 season. U.S. Figure Skating confirmed her comeback. Alysa explained that skiing made her miss the "adrenaline rush" of skating. She tried a double Axel on the ice and realized she could still do it. She decided to return on her own terms.

Alysa went back to her former coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali. She also started working with Amy Evidente and Ivan Dinev.

In October 2024, Alysa competed at the 2024 CS Budapest Trophy, her first competition since March 2022. She won the gold medal. She then competed at the 2024 Skate Canada International, placing sixth. Alysa said she was happy to be competing again and was "more present" and "more happy and fun." She also finished fourth at the 2024 NHK Trophy. In December, she won the gold medal at the 2024 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb.

Show Skating

Alysa performed in the Sun Valley on Ice summer shows in 2019 and 2021. After announcing her retirement, she toured the U.S. with Stars on Ice in spring 2022.

Awards and Recognition

In 2019, Alysa was named to the first Time 100 Next list. This list highlights rising leaders. Michelle Kwan wrote the article about her. In May 2020, Alysa became a Gold House A100 Honoree. This award honors important Asian Pacific leaders in different fields.

Personal Life and Education

Alysa attended Chinese school for three years. She then went to Oakland School for the Arts. When she missed too many classes for competitions, she started homeschooling. Alysa graduated high school in June 2021 at age 15. As of March 2024, she is attending University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

In 2020, she limited her social media use. This was because of many negative comments on her posts. She found it "not worth it" and "exhausting."

Competitive Highlights

Liu (left) on the podium at the 2019–20 Junior Grand Prix Final with Kamila Valieva (center) and Daria Usacheva (right).

Liu at the 2019–20 Junior Grand Prix Final

Images for kids

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  Liu during her free skate at 2024 Skate Canada International

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  Liu at 2019 JGP United States

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  Liu finishing her short program at the 2022 World Championships

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  Liu during her free skate at the 2022 World Championships

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  Liu performing her gala exhibition at the 2022 World Championships

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  Liu performing a spiral during her short program at 2024 Skate Canada International

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  Liu (left) on the podium at the 2019–20 Junior Grand Prix Final with Kamila Valieva (center) and Daria Usacheva (right).

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  Liu at the 2019–20 Junior Grand Prix Final

See also

In Spanish: Alysa Liu para niños