In a dramatic turn of events on Saturday (December 6th), American skater and reigning world champion Alysa Liu made an impressive comeback in the ladies’ singles event of the 2025-2026 International Skating Union World Figure Skating Grand Prix Final. Liu, with a nearly flawless free skate, successfully overtook Japanese skater Mone Chiba, whom she was trailing behind in the short program, and clinched the gold medal.
This victory marks a significant milestone for the 20-year-old Chinese-American prodigy, solidifying her position as a leading figure in the American figure skating world following her return earlier this year in March when she won the World Championships gold medal.
Alysa Liu’s career has been filled with legendary achievements. At just 13 years old, she became the youngest champion in the history of the U.S. Senior Figure Skating Championships and successfully defended her title in 2020. After winning bronze at the 2022 World Championships, she announced a temporary hiatus from figure skating.
However, behind her decision to retire lurked family pressures and interference from the Chinese Communist Party beyond ordinary imagination.
Alysa Liu’s father, Arthur Liu, originally from Sichuan, China, was a key figure in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and later fled to the United States through the “Yellowbird Operation” to become a practicing lawyer.
During Alysa Liu’s preparation for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, her family became the target of surveillance by Chinese secret police. In October 2021, the FBI contacted Liu, notifying him of the activities planned by Chinese operatives against his family.
In March 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice charged five individuals with representing Chinese secret police in monitoring, harassing, and smearing Chinese-American critics of the CCP within the United States.
Under such shadows and immense pressure, Alysa Liu completed her Olympic and World Championships seasons. Her brief hiatus was seen as a decision made after being physically and emotionally drained.
After two years away from the competition, Alysa Liu made a comeback. At the World Championships in Boston on the evening of March 26th this year, Liu returned and won the gold medal. She also became the first American woman in nearly two decades to win the World Figure Skating Championships.
In the Grand Prix Final on Saturday, her free skate set to Donna Summer’s disco classic “MacArthur Park” showcased peak performance. She flawlessly executed seven triple jumps, flowing through the program effortlessly, ultimately securing the championship with a total score of 222.49 points.
Despite leading after the short program, Japanese skater Mone Chiba faltered in the free skate, falling twice and missing out on the gold medal. In the end, Japanese skaters Asami Nakai and Hanae Sakamoto earned the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Following the competition, Alysa Liu couldn’t hide her excitement, humorously stating, “I’m not going to lie, I feel a little sweaty, a little hot, but overall, I feel really good.” She then grabbed a drumstick, drumming on a large Japanese taiko drum at the arena’s edge, celebrating a victory that brought together courage, talent, and family support.
Alysa Liu’s triumph contributed to the overwhelming success of the American team in Nagoya, with Marining in men’s singles and Jocques/Bates in ice dance, collectively winning three gold medals in this edition of the Grand Prix Final.