Gold medalist Alysa Liu of Team United States poses for a photo during the medal ceremony for the Women’s Single Skating on day thirteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

After retiring from figure skating at age 16, UCLA student Alysa Liu returned for the love of the sport — and the sport showed her love right back.

Part of Team USA’s self-dubbed “Blade Angels,” a trio with American skaters Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn, UCLA Bruin Alysa Liu returned to the ice this week, competing in the women’s figure skating competition at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, with her short program on Tuesday and her free skate held Thursday.

For the Bruin, it was a golden moment. Liu took the gold medal, the first time an American woman has won gold in 22 years. Sarah Hughes was the last gold medalist, winning in 2002 in Salt Lake City, where Michelle Kwan, who attended UCLA, won bronze.

Read the whole story from the UC Newsroom

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