Olympic figure skating champion Alysa Liu has withdrawn from the world championships later this month, an unsurprising move for the defending champ after she won the first Winter Games gold medal by an American woman in more than two decades.
Liu would have performed alongside Olympic teammates Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito when worlds begin March 24 at O2 Arena in Prague. Bradie Tennell was the first alternate but declined, so Sarah Everhardt will take Liu's place on the U.S. team.
The 20-year-old Liu, who retired after the 2022 Beijing Games only to launch a triumphant comeback two years later, became the first American woman since Kimmie Meissner in 2006 to win the world title last year in Boston. She followed up with the first Olympic gold medal for a U.S. woman since Sarah Hughes in 2002 when she stood atop the podium last month at the Milan Cortina Games.
Liu actually came away with two gold medals from Italy; she joined Glenn in helping the U.S. defend its Olympic team title.
Liu has quickly become a star, not only because of her success but also because her attitude and style. Once burned out by the sport, she returned with a fresh, happy-go-lucky outlook, and that positive vibe served her well amid the pressure of the Winter Games.
And with her distinctive streaked haircut, which is supposed to mimic growth rings on a tree, and prominent frenulum piercing, Liu has eschewed the “ice princess” style of yesteryear for a look that has been embraced by the alt, punk and emo crowd.
It is common for Olympic athletes to skip the following world championships. The season is long enough with the first events taking place in early fall, and many choose to begin their offseason early after the stress of performing at the Winter Games.
Among those who also have withdrawn from worlds are Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, the Olympic pairs champions from Japan; Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii, the pairs team that helped earn team bronze for host Italy; and Loena Hendrickx of Belgium, who has endured a season marked by injuries and finished 14th in the women's event at the Milan Cortina Games.
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Exclusive film screening in San Mateo Read moreA LITTLE FELLOW: THE LEGACY OF A.P.GIANNINI
Providing Feedback said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.