Alysa Liu retires

[Nikki Lee]

I just read on her instagram that she announced her retirement. She says she's given skating 11 years, that's she's happy with what she accomplished, and is moving on with her life. https://www.instagram.com/p/CcIvaQlvpZd/

 

[Jarrett]

I just read on her instagram that she announced her retirement. She says she's given skating 11 years, that's she's happy with what she accomplished, and is moving on with her life. https://www.instagram.com/p/CcIvaQlvpZd/

Good luck to Alyssa!

 

[Rob]

I thought it was AprilFools at first but apparently not.

 

[centerstage01]

I admit to being shocked—I thought she’d be around until 2026 at least. But if she’s happy and feels she’s accomplished everything she wanted to then good luck to her in whatever she does next. She’ll be missed!

 

[PRlady]

Well I’m disappointed for us but happy for her, I guess that World medal was the icing on the cake after a respectable Olys finish. I loved her joy on the ice. She just made the road up easier for Thorngren and Levito….

 

[AYS]

I got that clear vibe from her in her interviews after both her Olympic and world performances. She seemed 100% happy and satisfied with what she did at each event, and did not seem to be forward looking at all. Congratulations to her an a great career and I wish the best for her in whatever is next.

It will be interesting to see how the next year or so unfolds for US women. Other than the fact that I've been very impressed with Levito this season (and we'll see how jr worlds goes), it's really hard to predict what things will look like.

 

[skatfan]

I knew there was a high probability of her retirement, but it’s hurting more than I thought it would. I feel like she just discovered how to be an artist and now she’s gone.

Wishing her the best in what comes next - hopefully college and a career in something she loves.

 

[miffy]

I’m glad she leaves skating satisfied and had good skates and results to end on.

It’s a shame for us but the main thing is that she is happy!

 

[PRlady]

The best thing is she didn’t have to retire because some coach told her she had to get bone-thin to get her quads back. Or if anyone did, she didn’t listen. This is the kind of young retirement that feels good, if sad for those of us who liked to watch her.

 

[caseyedwards]

No way! It’s April 9th not the first! It’s too late for jokes. I’m so shocked!

 

[Oreo]

Back during the doping scandal at the Olympics, her dad said he never would have put his daughter in skating if he had known the system could be gamed like it was. Plus he's been targeted by Chinese government agents. Even Alysa, who wasn't told about this before the Olympics, so as not to distract her from her moment, was mysteriously approached by a man after the Free Skate in the cafeteria--inside the safe zone. Who needs this kind of drama? No doubt Alysa and her dad have had some serious discussions and made the best choice for her safety, well being and future.

 

[Buzz]

Best of luck to her!

 

[MacMadame]

There was an article in our local paper. It's probably behind a paywall but here it is:

Olympic figure skater from Bay Area announces retirement at age 16

Liu is a two-time United States figure skating champion.

www.mercurynews.com

Some excerpts:

Bay Area native Alysa Liu, a two-time United States national figure skating champion and 2022 Winter Olympian, announced her retirement at age 16 on Saturday.

She finished seventh — best among Americans — in the Beijing Games’ women’s figure skating competition, which featured controversy centered around Russian Kamila Valieva’s doping tests. Then, she won bronze at last month’s world championships in her final competition on that stage.

Liu won the United States women’s singles championships in Detroit in 2019, becoming the youngest national champion ever at age 13. She repeated as champion in Greensboro, North Carolina in 2020 and took home a bronze medal at the 2020 women’s singles championship in Tallin, Estonia.

Liu missed the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang because she was too young to participate and was nearly unable to partake in the 2022 Games in Beijing due to a positive COVID-19 test at the U.S. Championships in Nashville in January.

The talented skater was forced to withdraw from the qualifying competition and petition to join the United States team. Her petition was successful and Liu became the youngest athlete to represent the country at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Born in Clovis, Liu attended the Oakland School for the Arts before she began homeschooling so she could travel to more competitions. She was homeschooled through California Connections Academy, an online program used by many elite skaters such as Palo Alto’s Vincent Zhou and Fremont’s Karen Chen.

 

[genevieve]

not a surprise after all the discussion around her coaching change a few months back (which took on different meaning after the surveillance of Arthur Liu was revealed post-Olys). It's a bummer for skating fans, but Alysa seems like the most well-adjusted teenage skater ever, and congratulations to her for achieving so much in a short time and for leaving the sport on her own terms.

 

[layman]

I am having extraordinarily mixed feelings about this announcement.

On the one hand the writing has been on the wall all season...from the turmoil surrounding Liu's coaching...to her social media postings...to the news breaking just before Worlds that Liu and her family have been harassed by Chinese agents...I knew that the Liu family was under great stress.

At the same time, it breaks my heart to see a young talent retire at the tender age of 16 in her senior debut season!

Yet, this is the way this sport has been going for at least the past 7 or 8 seasons. The female champions are getting younger and younger and retiring younger and younger. This sport has become cruel to female athletes. It breaks my heart.

As heart broken as I am, I am so happy for Alysa Liu for what she has achieved in the sport despite the odds! I am incredibly proud of her! I hope future champions display the same kind of grace and joy!

 

[TAHbKA]

A shame. Liu is one of the skaters who project joy and seemed to genially enjoy what she was doing. Quite a change from all the skaters who were `doing their job' and never `having fun' or `enjoying what they do'. She seemed to be a bubble of joy both on and off the ice.
Thanks for her great skates and the best of luck in the future!

 

[BittyBug]

Good for you, Alysa Liu. She seems to have a very Zen attitude. Nothing is permanent, and there is much more for her to explore.

 

[Cachoo]

Happy Trails to Alysa and thank you for so much enjoyment over the years. She leaves by her own choice: Her body is not broken and she is not unwillingly forced out by up and comers. This is a happy ending.

 

[Carolla5501]

Personally, I think it’s a great! She has a world medal, she went to the Olympics and if she’s ready to go back to living a normal life - maybe go to college with her peers and actually enjoy it good for her. (I’ve read some of y’all’s plans for Camden next year 😂)

For most skaters if you are still skating at this level, it’s hard to be a normal college student and part of being a normal college student is doing things like going to the football games and going out to dinner with your friends on a Friday night and sitting around the dorm eating pizza.

She’s giving up a lot of her life already for skating. I don’t blame her or her family for saying you know enough is enough

 

[layman]

I don't think that Alysa's announcement will be the last. This sport has become so brutal. I won't be surprised to see more top female figure skaters announce their retirements after this season.

 

[skatfan]

The best thing is she didn’t have to retire because some coach told her she had to get bone-thin to get her quads back. Or if anyone did, she didn’t listen. This is the kind of young retirement that feels good, if sad for those of us who liked to watch her.

Yes, I think since the Olympics been clear that she’s in charge of her life, not coaches or her dad. What an impressive young woman.

 

[moonvine]

I don't think that Alysa's announcement will be the last. This sport has become so brutal. I won't be surprised to see more top female figure skaters announce their retirements after this season.

Surely this is enough.

 

[4rkidz]

Good for her! Wish her good fortune and hope she continues having fun with her life.

 

[pointbleu]

Good for her but at the times there was still so much potential not developed here. I thought she was starting to be a great skater, finding her edges. Good luck to her for the future!

 

[MacMadame]

Good for her but at the times there was still so much potential not developed here. I thought she was starting to be a great skater, finding her edges. Good luck to her for the future!

I suspect she'll skate in some shows here and there.

 

[avivadawn]

As an uber of hers, this announcement is bittersweet to me. I believe that she had so much to give to the sport as not only an athlete, but also as an artist. However, it is very refreshing to me to see her retire happy, healthy and on her own terms…..and that is what makes this announcement so sweet to me. Wishing all the best to Alysa.

 

[ross_hy]

I’m sad to see Alysa move on, but with everything she’s had to endure the last few years, I’m not totally surprised. I almost wonder if she made the announcement now while she’s in Japan to prevent anyone in the US from trying to change her mind. Happy to see her make this decision on her own terms.

 

[AxelAnnie]

A shame. Liu is one of the skaters who project joy and seemed to genially enjoy what she was doing. Quite a change from all the skaters who were `doing their job' and never `having fun' or `enjoying what they do'. She seemed to be a bubble of joy both on and off the ice.
Thanks for her great skates and the best of luck in the future!

I am totally shocked! And annoyed. Gutted! I know she wants to have a life, etc., but she could have spoken to me first! Rude! Will she be on the SOI tour? She was the main reason I bought tickets.
Seriously, I am happy for her. I admire her father for his stance re the current state of skating corruption.

So, where does that leave US Ladies? In the dumper, I think. Neither Chan nor Bell are consistent enough to reliably compete.

I am not very familiar with who is down the line.....Isabeau, of course. Feels like the end of an era in US Women's skating.

And Pairs......ugh! Dance - C/B. Men - I don't even know.

We need some skaters STAT!

 

[Karen-W]

I am totally shocked! And annoyed. Gutted! I know she wants to have a life, etc., but she could have spoken to me first! Rude! Will she be on the SOI tour? She was the main reason I bought tickets.
Seriously, I am happy for her. I admire her father for his stance re the current state of skating corruption.

So, where does that leave US Ladies? In the dumper, I think. Neither Chan nor Bell are consistent enough to reliably compete.

I am not very familiar with who is down the line.....Isabeau, of course. Feels like the end of an era in US Women's skating.

And Pairs......ugh! Dance - C/B. Men - I don't even know.

We need some skaters STAT!

We are just fine with our Men and Dance. Pairs is a question mark, depending on which teams continue and how some of the new teams that will form ultimately fare. Women - hard to say if it's a changing of the guard or not - there's definitely an opportunity for some skaters like Levito and Thorngren to really rise up and make a splash. We'll see how they do at Jr Worlds this coming week.

 

[briancoogaert]

I'm surprised because she looks so happy on the ice.
Good luck to her, and she can come back if she wants