Alysa Liu Is “So Ready” For Bed After Winning Gold At The 2026 Olympics

Alysa Liu is coming back from the 2026 Winter Olympics with some new hardware. The 20-year-old figure skater won two gold medals — one for the women’s singles event (the United States’ first in more than 20 years) and another for the team event — all in her second Olympics.

While in Milan, she was constantly going viral, whether it was for supporting younger skaters on the podium or executing a perfect hair flip at the end of her gold-winning free-skate routine. “I had a lot of energy at the end of my program,” Liu, who partnered with Gillette Venus as the official razor of Team USA, says about the fan-favorite moment. “I like to do little bits at the end, and I thought, ‘Well, perfect timing to do it there.’”

Skating wasn’t always so playful for Liu, who took a two-year break from the sport at 16 after feeling “low-key traumatized” by its intensity. In 2024, she came back with a fresh perspective. By 2025, she became a world champion figure skater.

These days, Liu’s ease on and off the ice has won her plenty of fans. Celebrities like Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez have been publicly rooting for the skater, although Liu hasn’t been paying too much attention to the outside noise. “I haven’t really been on my phone, so I haven’t had to navigate [the celeb attention] much,” she says. “It’s just hearsay from other people, so I haven’t processed any of it.”

She’s pleasantly surprised to learn that Gomez saw Liu reaching for her Rare Beauty lipstick before the medal ceremony. Gomez shared the video on Instagram, writing, “Congratulations @alysaxliu (She's just like me fr).” Liu reacts to this news with delight. “Wait, I actually had no idea. I’m finding out just now. Wait, really? That’s really wild because I use a ton of Rare Beauty products.”

These are the kind of wild moments that Liu will soon get used to. For now, though, she’s getting back to training ahead of the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, coming up in March.

Before heading back to train in her hometown of Oakland, California, the athlete takes a moment to dish on her favorite ways to cool down after stepping off the ice.

I’m really looking forward to the day I get a good night’s sleep. I’m so ready for it.

Elite Daily: How did you celebrate after your big win?

Alysa Liu: I celebrated my skate right after I hit that ending pose, so I’m all good on celebrating. I’ve been very busy since then, so no rest. I’m really looking forward to the day I get a good night’s sleep. I’m so ready for it.

ED: Walk me through the first things you do right after a competition.

AL: My routine is pretty much the same. I shower, get unready, maybe call some friends, and then sleep is always the move.

ED: You retired from skating in support of your mental health before finding your new, more “joyful” approach to the sport. How have your wind-down routines changed from pre-retirement to your return?

AL: My schedule’s so much more chill. I am not at the rink all day long. I go out, and I do stuff in between.

ED: What’s your favorite way to unwind after a competition?

AL: My go-to recovery is sleep. Always my No. 1. Honestly, that's the most important one, too.

ED: Are you a bath or shower person? How do you feel about an everything shower?

AL: I’m a shower person. I feel like it’s very effective and efficient, and I use the MoistureGlide Razor so I don’t get dry skin. I love an everything shower.

ED: You’ve already had a hallmark 2026. Looking ahead, are you manifesting anything for the rest of the year?

AL: I’m manifesting calmness. What else? Tons of downtime with friends and family, and just to keep doing what I love to do.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.