Bruin at the Olympics: How did Alysa Liu do in Milan

Part of Team USA's self-dubbed "Blade Angels," UCLA Bruin Alysa Liu returned to the ice this week, competing in the women's figure skating competition at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

Spoiler alert: This story reveals the results of the women's competition.

Liu and her fellow American "Angels," Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito, performed their short programs Tuesday, and their free skate on Thursday.

And for the Bruin, it was a golden moment. Liu took the gold medal, the first time an American woman has won gold in 22 years. Sarah Hughes was the last gold medalist, winning in 2002 in Salt Lake City, where Michelle Kwan, who attended UCLA, won bronze.

Liu skated flawlessly, living up to her plans for the games.

"I'm really excited because my goal, honestly, is just to hype people up, give them an experience, whether it's negative or positive," she told "60 Minutes" earlier this year. "As long as people are feeling some strong emotions and anticipation, I'm fine with that."

Liu, who hails from Oakland, California, retired after the 2022 Beijing games, when she was just 16, seemingly capping off a remarkable career. When she was just 13, she became the youngest-ever U.S. women's national champion and picked up dozens of titles and medals before announcing her retirement from skating.

But a ski trip in early 2024 changed everything. Hitting the slopes reminded her of being on the ice.

"Two years ago, I went on that ski trip, and I missed that jumping rush," she told NBC.

Liu's father, Arthur Liu, played a large role in Alysa's early career. This time, Alysa returned on her own terms - selecting coaches, music, etc. - and with palpable joy during her routines, won at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston last March.

As narrator Taylor Swift explained in a promo released ahead of this week's competition, Liu "walked away from skating when she was 16, but then came back on her own terms."

"Joy fuels her now. Every jump a celebration. Every performance a testament to the beauty of knowing yourself."

Watch that video on Youtube.

Liu finishes the games with two golds: her individual medal and one from the team competition alongside Glenn, ice dancing pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates, skating pair Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea, and "Quad god" Ilia Malinin.

"It's been such a treat," Liu told NBC's "Today" of the team gold. "After having a COVID Olympics, this one definitely feels really different. And to be in the team event was extremely fun for me. I want to be in the team event every time now."