Olympic champion Alice Liu withdrew from the 2026 World Championships in Prague

Two-time Olympic champion of the Milan Games, American figure skater Alice Liu, officially announced her withdrawal from the upcoming World Figure Skating Championships in Prague. The tournament, which will take place from March 24 to 29, 2026, has lost one of its top stars just weeks after her triumph in Italy.

Reasons for the decision: rest and new opportunities

Alisa Liu explained her refusal to participate in the world championship by the need to recover from the intense Olympic cycle, writes xrust. On her social networks, the 20-year-old athlete noted that after returning from Milan, “many interesting events” occurred in her life that required her personal presence.

The main factors that influenced the decision, writes Reuters:

• Psychological and physical relief: After winning two gold medals, Liu decided to end the season early to avoid burnout.
• A unique path: It is worth noting that Liu has always had an unconventional approach to her career: she went down in history as the youngest US champion (having won the title at 13 years old) , and the current decision to take a break for peak form fully corresponds to her philosophy of prioritizing mental health over records.
• Personal projects: The figure skater hinted at new off-ice opportunities that appeared after her Olympic success.
• Incidents with fans: Previously, the athlete reported discomfort due to intrusive attention at airports, which also influenced the desire to take pause.

Who will replace the champion in the USA?

The U.S. Figure Skating Association has already made changes to the official application for the tournament. Alice Liu's place in women's single skating will be taken by Sarah Everhardt .

“It is common practice for Olympic champions to skip the subsequent World Championships due to the enormous pressure and exhaustion after the Games,” sports analysts note.

Triumphant return and gold of Milan

class=»notranslate»>__GTAG27__ Alice Liu made one of the most striking comebacks in history. After announcing her retirement at age 16 in 2022, she returned to the sport in the 2024/25 season. At the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Liu scored a total 226.79 points , breaking the 24-year drought of American women in the fight for Olympic gold in the individual championship.

Xrust Olympic champion Alice Liu withdrew from the 2026 World Championships in Prague