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United States skater Alysa Liu couldn’t be happier with how her free skate came out, and the judges agreed as she won gold Thursday night at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.
Happiness means nothing to a 20-year-old who ended a 24-year gold drought for Americans. But that was exactly what his free skate was all about – the joy of being out on the ice in front of a crowd and millions watching around the world.
After his gold medal performance, Liu explained the story he wanted to tell through his skating.
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Alysa Liu of the USA reacts after competing in the women’s free skating final during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 19, 2026. (WANG Zhao/AFP)
“What I like to share about myself is my story, my art and my creative process,” he told NBC News. “I think spoiling doesn’t take that away. It’s still a thing, it’s still a story. A bad story is still a story, and I think that’s a good thing.
“There is no way to lose.”
With that thought, Liu can slide freely, not worry about failure.
ALYSSA LIU SCORES TEAM USA’S FEMALE REPRESENTATIVE FOR 24-YEAR OLYMPIC GOLD IN A WOMAN-BASED GOAL
Instead, he wanted to work the crowd throughout the performance, especially those in the building at the top.
“I was trying to show off my dress – this is a new dress. I really like it,” Liu added, looking at her gold dress which seemed to fit her well considering the results. “I was also focused on interacting with the audience. Between my changes – sitting up – I took a moment to smile at them, give them a little applause. Connect with the crowd, and I did just that.”
Alysa Liu of the USA competes in the women’s free skating final during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 19, 2026. (Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
Liu’s excitement was palpable after the routine, erupting into a celebration where he couldn’t help but shout, “That’s what I—I’m talking about!,” while with his team.
Liu finished with a gold medal of 226.79 after scoring 150.20 in the free skate and 76.59 in the short program. It was Liu’s best score all season.
Although Liu was happy with what she did on the ice, she still had to watch Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai finish their free skate before seeing 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 US gold medalist in 2002.
Gold medalist Alysa Liu of Team United States poses for a photo during the Women’s Single Skating medal ceremony on day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Before this performance, Liu quickly won the hearts of the American people after helping the US win gold in the team event.
Although Liu is looking forward to playing at the Olympic Gala, his tournament in Milan has come to a happy end.
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