From February 6th through 22nd, the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy were in full swing. During the event, the Team USA figure skaters brought home a total of two gold medals in the team event and women’s singles event, along with a silver medal for ice dance.
But the outing was not without its challenges.
Alysa Liu, who is 20 years old from Oakdale, California, is the first woman to achieve a gold medal in the women’s singles event in over two decades, since Sara Hughes in 2002.
“Winning isn’t all that. And neither is losing. It’s just something that happens. It’s an outcome. What matters is the input and the journey.” she shared about her perspective.
Alysa quit figure skating at 16 after experiencing severe burn out and PTSD from the high pressure environment of Olympic level skating.
When she came back in 2024, returned to the sport with an entirely new mindset.
“I hope that with all this attention I can at least raise awareness about mental health in sports and mental health in general.” she says.
Liu’s goal in Milano Cortina was one of sheer experience and joy; winning was just a byproduct.
However, that Olympic level pressure fell heavily on Ilia Malinin, the 21 year old Team USA men’s singles skater dubbed “The Quad God”.
Ilia was strongly projected to take home the men’s singles gold medal for Team USA, due to the high technical score of the routines he would be attempting and his previous track record.
But during the men’s free skate, after two devastating falls during his routine, he left the ice in tears and 8th place.
The upset prompted Simone Biles, seven time Olympic gold medalist gymnast, to reach out to him to show her support. She expressed that she could relate to his story.
Biles herself withdrew from multiple events during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic game ceremonies to prioritize her own mental health.
“On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible
battles on the inside.” Ilia posted on his social media following the Olympics ceremonies.
He described the pressure as ‘insurmountable’, writing that “it all builds up, as these moments flash before your eyes, resulting in an inevitable crash.”
His teammate Amber Glenn, who is 26 years old from Plano, Texas, had a similar experience.
During her short program, Glenn under-rotated her triple loop, turning it into a double loop. This small mistake cost her seven points, and impacted her demeanor throughout the remainder of her short program, netting her 13th place in that particular program.
“I want everyone to do their best, but I want my best to be better.” Amber once said, a quote indicative of her determined mindset and high standards for herself.
After her short program, the skater shared: “I was devastated that I lost the happiness and the enjoyment that I wanted to have out there on the ice.”
The skater not only faced internalized pressure and perfectionism, but politically charged external criticism for being outspoken about the current political state of the United States.
Amber Glenn is the first openly out LGBT+ woman figure skater to ever be on Team USA.
“I am now receiving a scary amount of hate,” she shared. “But I will never stop using my voice for what I believe in.”
In the following free skate program, Glenn achieved her season best performance, and climbed the score board from 13th to 5th.
At the concluding Olympic Exhibition Gala, she triumphantly skated to “That’s Life” by Lady Gaga, the lyrics a reflection of her up and down experience at Milano Cortina.
Ilia’s performance of “Fear” by NF artistically expressed his mental health struggles and succumbing to the pressure he faced.
Despite their personal struggles and the crushing weight of that monumental pressure they experienced, Team USA came together to ultimately win the Team Event gold.
“Joy is my superpower.” Alysa Liu shared. “When I skate for love instead of pressure, that’s when I fly.”
