Star figure skater Alysa Liu commanded the world's attention during her gold-medal run at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy a month ago. But just a few weeks before she was scheduled to compete at the ISU World Championships in Prague, Czechia, Liu announced that she was withdrawing from the competition. While it's common for athletes to skip world championships after an Olympic performance, the 20-year-old phenom is revealing her reason behind the much-deserved break.

“Hellooo as some of y'all already know, I withdrew from Worlds,” Liu's Instagram story began. “There’s been a lot of exciting things happening since my return from Milan, so I’m taking some time for that. I will be cheering everyone on from afar. See y'all next season,” she concluded.

Liu was supposed to compete alongside her fellow “Blade Angels,” Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito in Prague, but now Sarah Everhardt will fill in as her replacement. Despite withdrawing from the world championships, which she won last year, Liu is still set to make an appearance on the Stars on Ice Tour.

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Alysa Liu's 2026 Winter Olympics journey

Liu's ascent to superstardom resulted in part from her elite skill level, unapologetic display of her personality, and unique figure skating journey. She retired from the sport after competing in the 2022 Beijing Games and didn't return until 2024. After claiming gold this year, she unveiled her thoughts on how her personal path led her to that moment.

“The feelings I felt out there were calm, happy, and confident,” Liu said. “No matter what happens in my life, I think I have a beautiful life story, and I feel really lucky, and I’m glad that a lot of people are now watching me so that I could show them everything that I’ve come up with in my brain and share my stories.”

With Liu preparing to take on various other opportunities coming her way, there doesn't seem to be an end to her time in the spotlight in sight.