Side-By-Side Pics Highlight Alysa Liu's Gorgeous Transformation
Back in 2022, when Alysa Liu was 16, she took to her Instagram (via Olympics) to let everyone know she was 'retiring from skating.' Thankfully, it wasn't forever, and when she returned to the rink, she radiated a whole new level of confidence and happiness alongside the iconic Alysa Liu stripe hairstyle that carries more meaning than most think. And, the outcome was historic! The figure skater struck gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics and concluded the more than two-decade gold medal drought for the U.S. in women's figure skating, and did so with a gorgeous transformation.
John Lamparski/Getty Images & Marc Piasecki/WireImage
Side-by-side photos of Liu from 2022 and 2026 show how stepping away from her skates was the best move she could've made for herself. On the left is the young figure skater in 2022, and her eyes don't have the same spark as they do in her photo from 2026. Liu admitted she had 'lost a lot of motivation' and struggled for years with painful injuries and a grueling training schedule, exhausted from living up to the expectations of competitive skating.
On the right, Liu was photographed attending the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2026 show in Paris, and the transformation is hard to ignore. While her contagious smile remains the same, her eyes are brighter, and she's radiating a genuine glow. But Liu's transformation wasn't due to just her growing up over two years, but more so thanks to a major shift in her mental health.
Alysa Liu's glow up was inside and out
Retirement looks different when you're sixteen. When Alysa Liu walked away from the rink in 2022, she didn't just leave skating behind, but escaped a routine that might've led to her quiet demise. In a very candid March 2026 interview with Rolling Stone, Liu didn't hold back on the harsh reality of being a child prodigy.
Liu admitted that by the age of 14, she 'hated skating' because she felt like she was the passenger of her own life. Between being in a constant state of fight or flight during long training days and being on a team so strict she was told to 'gargle [her] water' to avoid gaining weight, the Olympic gold medalist was showing serious signs of burnout. So, she left to save herself, and for two years, Liu lived a normal life. She told TODAY in March 2026, "I really focused on school and friendship, and honestly, that's the thing that grounded me."
The wise teenager used grounding to work on her mental health. She went on vacation for the first time, began attending UCLA, prioritized being with people she loved, and made an effort to look inward. Soon after, she'd find her way back to skating after a 2024 ski trip. This time, she put her skates on because she wanted to. Prioritizing her mental health is exactly what transformed Liu into the graceful and unapologetic champion of 2026, skating for no one else but herself.