Bruin at the Olympics: How to watch Alysa Liu skate in the women’s competition

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

Liu and her fellow American "Angels," Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito, perform their short programs Tuesday (kicking off at 9:45 a.m. PT on Peacock and again in prime time on NBC), with the free skate Thursday.

It will be the final figure skating competition for Team USA members, and Liu, who placed sixth at the 2022 Beijing Games, is ready to put on a show.

"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 Clovis, California, retired after the 2022 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, took gold at the world championship 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 heads into Tuesday's competition full of that spirit. She already has a gold from these games, having won the medal in 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."