Alysa Liu Is the First American Woman to Take Home Figure Skating Gold in 24 Years! See the 7 Champions Who Came Before Her

Of all the sports in the Winter Olympics, figure skating tends to attract the most attention due to its dazzling glamour and artistry. Every four years, audiences around the world delight in the spectacle of gracefully executed jumps and spins, and with Alysa Liu’s recent triumph on the ice, the U.S. has earned its first gold medal for women’s figure skating in 24 years.

Given America’s longstanding love of figure skating, it’s surprising that only eight American women have won gold in the more than 100-year history of the Winter Olympics. Read on to meet the eight skaters who pulled off this stunning achievement—and brought great patriotic pride to the U.S.

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2026: Alysa Liu brings joy to the ice

Alysa Liu’s big win has made her the first American women’s figure skating champion at the Olympics since 2002 (before the 20-year-old was even born!) Liu’s alternative style and carefree approach to skating have opened up a fascinating dialogue in a sport long bound to perfectionism and a rigid view of femininity, and her comeback story is the stuff that athletic dreams are made of.

In 2022, after her Olympic debut at 16, Liu decided to retire, as she felt that skating had taken over her life. Two years later, she made a bold return, and at this year’s Olympics, she skated on her own terms, giving a high-energy performance set to Donna Summer’s disco cover of “MacArthur Park.” Liu is instantly recognizable for her distinctive striped dyed hair, and her smile as she performed showed that she was genuinely having fun, proving that a unique personality can go a long way on the ice.

Liu is still early in her career, and enrolled in UCLA to study psychology during her retirement. We don’t know what the newly-minted gold medalist will do next, but it’s clear that the world is her oyster.

After her win, Liu joyfully said, “Being able to do it my way on the big stage like this has been my dream. And I got to do it in my tour. I got to do it in the team event, and I got to do it tonight for the free skate, and I’m going to do it again for the Olympic Gala. I’m just, like, over the moon. I’m the luckiest girl ever. And I’m really grateful.”

2002: Sarah Hughes has an unexpected victory

Sarah Hughes won gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, in what was considered one of the biggest upsets in the sport, as her teammate, Michelle Kwan, and Russia’s Irina Slutskaya were both favored to win that year.

After her win, Hughes skated with Stars on Ice, but soon decided to pursue a different path, graduating from Yale with a degree in American studies with a concentration in U.S. politics and communities. In 2018, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and she earned a Masters in Business Administration from Stanford in 2024. In 2023, she filed to run for Congress in New York, but ultimately withdrew from the race.

While Hughes has had an unexpected career journey since leaving the ice, serving as a businesswoman, philanthropist and lawyer, she still honors her Olympic roots as the host of Good as Gold, a podcast in which she interviews gold medalists.

Now 40, Hughes has mused on what set her apart as a skater, saying, “To have success in skating, you need to be very skilled in articulation. You must understand what you want, your capabilities, your opportunities, and constantly work on your ability to deal with failure and success. Once you have a grasp on that, you start working on ways to express it better externally. There is a joy in being able to communicate how you feel inside to the outside world.”

1998: Tara Lipinski becomes the youngest gold medalist

Tara Lipinski became the youngest-ever Olympic gold medalist in women’s figure skating singles history when she won at the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, at just 15. At the time, her win was seen as an upset, as Michelle Kwan, was originally the frontrunner for gold and ended up winning silver.

Lipinski turned professional post-Olympics, bringing her high-energy charm to Champions on Ice and Stars on Ice. She also dabbled in acting and had a recurring role on The Young and the Restless in 1999. In 2023, Lipinski and her husband, sports producer Todd Kapostasy, cohosted Tara Lipinski: Unexpecting, a podcast devoted to her struggles with infertility. They later welcomed their daughter via surrogate.

While Lipinski has long been retired from figure skating, she remains a major presence at the Olympics, as she’s been a commentator for NBC’s figure skating broadcast since 2014. She can also currently be seen in the reality show Traitors alongside fellow commentator and former skater Johnny Weir.

Now 43, Lipinski recently said, “I was fortunate to see my Olympic dream come true at 15, and I’ll never take that for granted. To still be part of the Olympics today and help share the stories of these incredible athletes is something I’m deeply grateful for. Truly the cherry on top.”

1992: Kristi Yamaguchi breaks the mold

In 1992, Kristi Yamaguchi became the first Asian American to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Her win helped to make the sport more inclusive, paving the way for this year’s gold medalist, Alysa Liu.

Yamaguchi turned professional after the Olympics and spent over a decade touring with Stars on Ice. She’s also appeared in TV specials, written children’s books and had a fashion line. One of her proudest accomplishments outside of skating was founding Always Dream, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting children’s literacy. The organization recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. In 2006, she won Dancing With the Stars, and she’s provided skating commentary for NBC.

The 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, were pivotal in both Yamaguchi’s personal and professional life, as she didn’t just win a gold medal, she also met her husband, hockey player Bret Hedican.

Yamaguchi, now 54, recently marveled at her win, saying, “I thank my lucky stars every day that things worked out the way they did. I can’t imagine how my life would be if it turned out differently.”

1976: Dorothy Hamill becomes a champion with an iconic haircut

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Dorothy Hamill’s historic gold medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. Hamill’s athleticism and confidence captured the moment and made her a star, and her distinctive hairstyle—a cropped look known as the wedge cut—spawned a generation of copycats.

Hamill further raised figure skating’s profile, and even invented her own move, a spin combination that came to be known as the “Hamill camel.” Interestingly, she landed on Olympic ice at a turning point for the sport, as she was the last female skater to win a gold medal with a routine that didn’t include a triple jump.

Hamill turned professional and skated in the Ice Capades from 1977 to 1984. She then appeared in other skating shows, including productions of Cinderella, The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet, and has been involved in charitable causes and mentorship for younger skaters.

During this year’s Olympics, Hamill, now 69, remembered the surreal feeling of winning gold, saying, “Standing on the podium was really all the thoughts that have ever gone through your mind. All the emotion—just sadness and excitement, wondering what life will be like. It’s interesting to achieve a ‘life-long goal’ at 19. I had no idea what would come after, but it was a great relief after knowing I didn’t have to go back to training again and again.”

1968: Peggy Fleming ushers in a figure skating renaissance

Peggy Fleming gave an unforgettable performance at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, where she was the only American athlete to take home a gold medal. The skater was the quintessential ice princess, and she was widely credited with making figure skating into a cultural phenomenon, as she became a mainstream celebrity and inspired countless girls to hit the ice.

Fleming’s Olympic victory was particularly meaningful, as it marked the first time an American skater had won a gold medal since the 1961 tragedy in which the entire U.S. figure skating team, including her coach, died in a plane crash.

After the Olympics, Fleming turned professional and skated in TV specials as well as performing in the Ice Capades. She later served as a longtime figure skating commentator for ABC and ESPN. Now 77, she’s been married to her high school sweetheart, Greg Jenkins, since 1970, and the couple formerly owned Fleming Jenkins Vineyards & Winery in California.

Reflecting on her game-changing win, Fleming said, “That’s a very, very proud moment, accomplishing that dream. It was an out-of-body experience. I was proud of myself. To actually have the medal on . . . it was magical. It made me feel good about representing the U.S.”

1960: Carol Heiss wins gold and then stars with the Three Stooges

Carol Heiss won the gold medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. She’d previously come in behind Albright when she won the silver medal at the 1956 Olympics. Her two younger siblings, Nancy and Bruce, were also skaters, and her athletic family was frequently covered in the media.

Heiss retired from skating after the Olympics and starred as Snow White in Snow White and the Three Stooges in 1960. In the ’70s, she became a figure skating coach. The 86-year-old former athlete is part of an Olympian power couple, as she’s been married to Hayes Alan Jenkins, who won the gold medal in men’s figure skating in 1956, since 1961.

In a recent interview, Heiss fondly recalled her two times as an Olympian, saying, “It’s hard to explain. You have such a feeling of patriotism, because in the U.S., you know, we were funded by the public. They donate for the team to go. You feel very patriotic. It’s a little overwhelming when you’re 16 and you see all these wonderful athletes. They’re the best of the best of all the countries. It was a special time.”

1956: Tenley Albright makes Olympic history

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70 years ago, Tenley Albright became the first American female skater to win an Olympic gold medal. She first competed in the Olympics in Oslo, Norway in 1952, winning silver. Albright overcame a lot to make it to the podium, as she had polio as a child and had a traumatic fall while training for the 1956 Olympics, but she emerged victorious.

Albright retired from skating shortly after the Olympics and went on to become a surgeon. In 1976, she served as the chief physician for the U.S. Olympic team, and she became a vice president of the U.S. Olympic Committee in 1982.

Now 90, Albright attended this year’s Olympics and wore her original U.S. sweater from the 1956 opening ceremony. Because of her injury, she wasn’t originally able to parade in the opening ceremony and wear it, so this was a sweet full-circle moment for the skater.

Looking back at her time at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Albright said, “It was so beautiful, up there in the mountains. I remember when they started humming my music, and that really lifted me, and I took off my double axel in the sun and landed in the shade, and it was the most unbelievable thing.”