Alysa Liu Withdraws from 2026 World Figure Skating Championships
The figure skating world was taken aback when Alysa Liu's name was conspicuously absent from the official roster for the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships. Scheduled to unfold from March 24 to March 29, 2026, the prestigious event will now proceed without the two-time Olympic gold medalist, who has opted to step away just weeks before the competition.
Sarah Everhardt Seizes the Opportunity
With Liu's withdrawal, the door has swung open for 19-year-old American skater Sarah Everhardt to represent the United States. This development gained rapid attention after the skating fan page AnythingGOE shared the news on social media platform X. Liu's absence is particularly notable given her recent triumph at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, where she clinched two gold medals, leading many to anticipate her defending the world title she secured in 2025.
Prior to her decision, Alysa Liu had hinted at potential non-participation, stating, "I have maybe World Championships coming up. I have yet to fully decide if I’m gonna do it, but I really want to." Ultimately, she adhered to the mindset she expressed post-Olympics, prioritizing a break over immediate competition.
Alysa Liu's Post-Olympics Philosophy
Alysa Liu's choice to withdraw aligns seamlessly with her post-Olympics reflections. Even after her stellar performance in Milan-Cortina, she emphasized that her happiness is not solely tethered to skating achievements. "I would have been fine either way," she remarked about the Olympics. "I would have been loving life outside of skating just as much. But yes, I am really happy with how my life is right now."
Following the Olympic celebrations, Liu deliberately slowed her pace, planning a genuine hiatus from training and competitions. "I would.. definitely take that break..," she explained. "Trying new things will definitely give you a different outcome." She recounted her initial post-Olympic days: "After I won, [there] was no sleep…. I went home, and I literally did whatever I wanted for five days. I didn’t have any media, and I had no commitments, so it was really great. I got to see a lot of my friends again, and just relax and catch up on sleep. I skated twice just because I wanted to."
Echoes of Past Breaks
This decision mirrors Liu's approach after the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, when she was merely 16 years old. At that time, she withdrew from competitive skating to savor life beyond the rink after approximately eleven years of intensive training. "I was homeschooled my whole life…I’m a very social person. I crave human connection," Liu shared. "All I wanted was to be with my family and friends at home, and live like a normal teenage girl."
During that interlude, she embarked on diverse experiences, including attending classes at UCLA, obtaining her driver's license, enjoying concerts, experimenting with skiing and snowboarding, and traveling. Reflecting on that period, Liu told NBC, "I got to do so many different things that I never would have done had I stayed in the sport."
Sarah Everhardt's Rising Profile
Stepping into the void left by Liu, Sarah Everhardt brings a robust track record to the 2026 World Championships. The 19-year-old has already notched significant accomplishments, such as winning bronze at the 2025 Four Continents Championships. She is also a four-time Challenger Series medalist, the 2025 U.S. national bronze medalist, and the 2024 U.S. national pewter medalist, positioning her as a formidable contender on the global stage.
As the 2026 Worlds draw near, Alysa Liu's withdrawal underscores a recurring theme in her career: following monumental skating successes, she elects to pause, recharge, and embrace life's other facets before contemplating her next competitive move. This pattern highlights her commitment to personal well-being and balance, even as the skating community adjusts to her absence and rallies behind emerging talents like Sarah Everhardt.
