For more than two decades, U.S. women’s figure skating carried the legacy of past Olympic champions like Sarah Hughes, whose gold medal performance at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics stood as the ultimate mark for American success in the sport. Hughes made a comeback like no other to win the gold, and now Alysa Liu has made a comeback with all of U.S. figure skating being carried on her shoulders.
After back-to-back disasters for Team USA on the ice, Liu came through with a miraculous victory to score the top spot on the medal podium after her free skate routine on February 19, 2026. Her success is the latest in a series of shock outcomes at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. But it’s now safe to say that Alysa Liu has redeemed U.S. figure skating and reminded the world of the stunning displays of athleticism that Team USA can deliver.
Team USA’s Figure Skaters Suffered a Series of Struggles at the 2026 Winter Olympics
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Going into the 2026 Winter Olympics, Team USA’s figure skating program came with some of the most highly anticipated contenders for the podium. ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin was all but certain to take home the gold medal, and on the women’s side Amber Glenn was expected to wow during her routines. Then there was the figure skating pairs team of Madison Chock and Evan Bates whose chemistry on the ice was sure to put them at the very top of the medal stand. But none of what was anticipated every came to fruition.
First, Malinin fell on the ice and then balked to perform his famed quadruple axel jump, instead opting for a single rotation on one of his jump elements. He placed eighth in the competition and failed to win an individual medal altogether. Then, Glenn also fell during her short program performance and was given a penalty for an invalid element when she failed to complete her final triple axel jump. She received a score of zero for the failed jump, and ultimately she wasn’t on the medal stand at all.
Bates and Chock won silver, but only at the expense of heartbreak. The gold was certainly theirs to take home, but then a scoring controversy saw the top spot upon the podium given to the team from France. Instead of the gold they believed they’d earned, Chock and Bates had to settle for silver.
Alysa Liu Has Ended U.S. Women’s Figure Skating’s Gold Medal Drought
GettyAlysa Liu wins the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Women’s Figure Skating
Not only did Alysa Liu win the women’s individual figure skating competition, but she also broke a 24-year drought for U.S. figure skating and redeemed the legacy of Americans on the ice. When Liu was awarded her gold medal on February 19, 2026, she became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating since Sarah Hughes won in 2002.
Liu’s victorious gold medal win marks a renaissance for U.S. women’s figure skating and serves as a profound reminder to the world that Team USA can rise to the top under immense pressure and scrutiny. And not only can Americans rise under pressure, but they can deliver flawless and extraordinary performances that prove ‘impossible’ is nothing but a goal.
Alysa Liu Redeems U.S. Figure Skating After Heartbreak, Disaster, and a 24-year Olympic Gold Medal Drought