UCLA student Alysa Liu wins gold in the 2026 Winter Games

After retiring from figure skating at age 16, UCLA student Alysa Liu returned for the love of the sport - and the sport showed her love right back.

Part of Team USA's self-dubbed "Blade Angels," a trio with American skaters Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn, 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, with her short program on Tuesday and her free skate held Thursday.

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.

Gold medalist Alysa Liu of Team United States celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Women's Single Skating on day thirteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

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.

Alysa Liu on ice. Credit: Melanie Heaney/U.S. Figure Skating

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 the video on Youtube here.

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."