Why figure skater Alysa Liu was forced to give back one of her Olympic gold medals

American figure skater Alysa Liu captured global attention at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy, delivering breathtaking performances that earned her two gold medals in both the team and women’s individual events.

The 20-year-old dazzled audiences with her embellished costumes and commanding presence on the ice, quickly building a devoted fan base. Within a week of the Games, she had amassed 5.3 million followers on Instagram, cementing her status as both an athletic champion and a rising star.

However, despite being awarded with two gold medals, the figure skater only took home one after an unfortunate mishap occurred. "I was just jumping up and down, as one does to celebrate, and it just dropped," Alysa shared. "It just literally fell off of the ribbon. It got very scratched up, pretty dented."

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Alysa explained that the Olympics rules meant that she had to return the medal despite her preferring its more rugged appearance. "I had to give it in. I was like: 'Can’t you just fix this one? I'm attached,'" she added.

"But it’s OK, I’m detached. Just like it was."

Alysa's wins

Alysa's first gold medal came courtesy of the team event which saw her perform alongside Ilia Malinin.

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Dressed in a sparkling gold gown and skating to music by Donna Summer for her free skate, the 20-year-old delivered a stunning performance, earning a remarkable 150.20 to surge to the top of the leaderboard. With a combined total of 226.79, she clinched the gold medal ahead of Kaori Sakamoto.

"It was just bliss, I was so happy to be there. I felt like I was floating," she shared. "I felt like the crowd carried me, I did everything I wanted to do. I was peak happiness when I was out there on the ice."

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She continued: "Nothing could bring me higher than that. I don't really feel pressure, I feel excited to be there, and happy. That's the stage I always wanted to show my programs on, show my dress off and just get myself out there. I would do it again."

Gold medal incidents

This isn't the first time in history that a gold medal has been broken during the Games. American skier Breezy Johnson damaged her medal just moments after winning gold in the women's downhill. “It is heavy, it’s broken. It’s a look. I was jumping up and down in excitement, then it just fell off," she shared.