It was a historic night for United States figure skater Alysa Liu. Entering the women’s free skate final in third place following the short program, Liu delivered a remarkable performance to finish with a composite score of 226.79, enough to secure gold — the first U.S. woman to win a singles figure skating Olympic gold in 24 years.

Liu remained composed throughout her skate and while watching the two competitors who followed her. She made it clear beforehand that a medal wouldn’t define her, and she used that mindset to relieve pressure, executing a near flawless performance on the biggest stage of her Olympic career.

Following the dramatic finish, former Olympic gold medalist and current NBC Sports analyst Scott Hamilton shared a message of praise on social media:

“WHAT. A. NIGHT!!!!” Hamilton wrote. “Congratulations Alysa Liu on the greatest achievement of our sport. You deserve it, and you’re a true inspiration.

“I could not be happier for every woman who competed at this Olympics. The future of figure skating is very bright!”

Liu was just happy to be there. After a strong 2025 campaign earned her a spot on Team USA, she now walks away with two Olympic gold medals, having also won gold in the team event last week.

“I was feeling calm, happy, and confident,” Liu said. “I’ve been having fun the whole time. This experience is really cool. I got to see my siblings and my friends the past two nights — we even had a late-night dinner together. It was super fun. I’m just so happy that I could bring Oakland to Milan.”

Liu also spoke about the message she hopes to send to people around the world who may be looking up to her. Her journey has been anything but ordinary — retiring at 16, taking a year off, and ultimately returning on her own terms. That approach appears to have paid off.

“I guess it’s about doing things people tell you that you shouldn’t do. I’ve been doing that a lot,” Liu added. “But it’s also about finding a really good team. I’m so grateful — I have such a great support system around me, friends who really hold me down. No matter what happens in life, I think I have a very beautiful life story, and I feel really lucky.

“I’m glad that now there are a lot of people watching me, so I can show them everything I’ve come up with in my head and share my stories. I want to be a storyteller.