Alysa Liu drops out of World Figure Skating Championship

Via @alysaxliu on Instagram

Alysa Liu announced her withdrawal from the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships. The 20-year-old took to Instagram to share a statement on Saturday (8th March 2026).

She said: “There’s been lots 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.”

Via @alysaxliu on Instagram

The news came as a shock following Liu’s success in the Olympics last month. She came away with gold in both the team and individual events, beating out Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto by 2.51 points.

19-year-old Sarah Everhardt is set to replace Liu on Team USA. Everhardt finished fifth in the 2026 US Championships, with Liu winning silver.

Via @sarah.everhardt26 on Instagram

Liu has skyrocketed to fame following the Olympics. Her follower count on Instagram has jumped from ~220,000 pre-Olympics, to 7.5 Million following the games. Liu has spoken about this meteoric rise to fame, and the difficulties that have come with it.

In a statement on Instagram, she spoke about being chased at the airport and being crowded with cameras. Fans have speculated this may be a reason she has decided to withdraw from the competition.

Via @alysaxliu on Instagram