Olympic champion Alysa Liu makes surprising confession saying friends come before figure skating career in Teen Vogue cover interview

Alysa Liu is enjoying the biggest moment of her career, but the American figure skater says medals will never come before the people she loves. The 20 year old star from the United States recently won two gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy.

She became the first American woman in 24 years to win the Olympic women’s singles title. Liu also helped Team USA win gold in the team event.Even with that historic success, Alysa Liu says skating will never control her whole life. In a new interview with Teen Vogue, where she appeared on the magazine’s cover, Liu openly shared that she sometimes chooses time with friends over extra practice on the ice.“I pick hanging out with my friends over a session, and if that makes me a worse skater, so be it,” Alysa Liu said.

“I do not care. I will jeopardize whatever.”Her honest answer surprised many fans because most Olympic athletes talk about sacrifice and strict routines. Liu’s words show a different view. She wants success in skating, but she also wants a normal life with friends, rest, and fun. For Alysa Liu, balance matters just as much as medals.

Alysa Liu explains why friendships matter more than skating practice after Olympic gold success

Alysa Liu’s path to Olympic gold has been unusual from the very beginning. She first shocked the skating world at just 13 years old when she became the youngest champion in the history of the U.S.

Figure Skating Championships.A few years later, she competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing when she was only 16. After that season, she won a bronze medal at the World Figure Skating Championships. Then she made a decision that stunned the sport. Liu suddenly stepped away from figure skating in 2022, saying she wanted to live a normal life for a while.That break did not last forever. She returned to competition in 2024.

Her comeback quickly turned into something special. Within a year she won a world title and then delivered the best performance of her career at the 2026 Olympics in Italy.Still, Liu says her happiness does not depend only on medals.“I would have been fine either way,” she said 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.”After winning gold, Liu gave herself time to breathe. She said the days after the Olympics were simple and relaxing.“After I won, there was no sleep,” Liu said. “I went home and I literally did whatever I wanted for five days. I did not 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.”Soon after, Liu returned to public events. During an appearance at the Today show, she shared a sweet moment with actor Daniel Radcliffe. The star of the Harry Potter films greeted Liu backstage and gave her a hug.When they took a photo together, Liu even offered him one of her gold medals. Radcliffe politely declined wearing it.“No I cannot wear it, I will hold it,” he told her. “Wearing it feels like stolen valor.”Radcliffe also praised her Olympic skate and told Liu it was “the most joyful thing I have watched.”For Alysa Liu, moments like these show that life away from the rink can be just as meaningful as standing on the Olympic podium.