While Trevor Decker News typically stays glued to the latest in streaming, TV, film, and music, every so often a star emerges from the world of competitive sports who feels less like an athlete and more like a pop culture phenomenon. Right now, that person is Alysa Liu. If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or Instagram recently, you’ve likely seen the “Blade Angel” aesthetic taking over your feed—a mix of grunge-inspired Y2K fashion, “raccoon-striped” hair, and a carefree attitude that is redefining what it means to be an Olympian. At just 20, she is already a two-time Olympian and a gold medalist for Team USA, but her journey is marked as much by her viral personality as by her jumps and spins.
Alysa’s Olympic story reads like a comeback script that refuses to follow anyone else’s rules but her own. In Beijing, Liu stepped onto Olympic ice as the youngest athlete on the roster, a teenager carrying the pressure of a sport in transition. She finished sixth in the women’s singles event, the highest placement among U.S. women, skating with a freedom that hinted at bigger stages still to come. That top-six finish was less a final result than a statement that she belonged at the very center of figure skating’s future.
A month later, Liu claimed bronze at the 2022 World Championships, becoming the first American woman to stand on a world podium in six years. For many, that success would have been the start of a predictable four-year grind. Instead, Alysa did something almost unheard of in elite sport: she walked away. In April 2022, she announced her retirement at just 16, explaining she had achieved her goals of reaching the Olympics and enjoying the journey. She chose ordinary moments—college life at UCLA, family holidays, and friends’ birthdays—over the extraordinary sacrifices usually required for gold. It wasn’t an ending; it was a reclamation of her own life.
Those years off the circuit became a quiet training ground. As she rediscovered herself away from the bright lights and judges’ scores, she rebuilt her sense of purpose. In 2024, her simple message—“back on the ice”—signaled a rebirth. By the 2025 World Championships, she captured gold in women’s singles, proving that her time away had sharpened her competitive fire rather than dulled it. Arriving at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Liu was the world champion and the emotional anchor of a resurgent U.S. team. In the team event, she delivered a stunning short program to Icelandic-Chinese artist Laufey’s “Promise,” helping Team USA secure the gold medal.
Beyond the scores, it is Alysa’s presence on social media that has sparked a movement. She has replaced the stiff image of an “ice princess” with the “Blade Angels”—a squad name she coined for herself and teammates Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito. Fans are obsessed with her relatable energy, from her “smiley” piercing and signature hair to her viral videos showing her new gold medal accidentally detaching from its ribbon. “My medal don’t need the ribbon,” she joked to her followers, proving that while she takes the sport seriously, she doesn’t take the “seriousness” of the sport too far.
For the young athletes watching her, Liu’s impact is deeply personal. She prioritizes mental health, pursues her education, and isn’t afraid to be herself. When she pumps her fists and yells “Yeah!” after a program, they see a girl who gave herself permission to be happy. As the individual competition approaches, the world will be watching to see if she can add a solo Olympic medal to her team gold. You can catch every moment of Alysa Liu’s journey live on Peacock, with broadcast coverage available on NBC and USA Network.
Upcoming Schedule for Alysa Liu:
- Women’s Short Program: Tuesday, February 17 (12:45 p.m. ET on USA / 2:40 p.m. ET on NBC)
- Women’s Free Skate: Thursday, February 19 (1:00 p.m. ET on NBC)