Alysa Liu has declared that she will not compete in the 2026-27 figure skating season, mere months after winning two gold medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The 21-year-old American figure skater revealed her decision on Instagram on August 25, telling fans she wants to take a break from competition to focus on personal growth and further develop her skating. Reacting to this, a user commented:“Because the Russians are coming back?”Alysa Liu announces her breakAlysa Liu took to her Instagram Stories to announce her decision. She wrote:"To my supporters, while people are announcing programs, imma take this time to announce that I will not be competing this season."She added:"I always want to challenge myself in new ways, so my artistry & skating can evolve. It's important to me that my sport reflects my personal growth. I'm gonna take the time to recalibrate, fine-tune things & whatnot."Despite her decision to withdraw from competing for the time being, Alysa Liu intends to continue training. She told NBC Sports that she plans to improve her overall artistry, spins, leaps, and other skating skills before returning to competition.Liu clarified that her decision is not a retirement announcement. She wrote in her announcement:"So fear not, I'll be back.She concluded by saying she will continue to encourage her colleagues during her absence from competition. She is set to return for the 2027–28 season."In the meantime I'll be rooting for my teammates near & far. See y'all soon!!"The decision comes after what may have been Liu's most successful season. She won the women's singles gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February, becoming the first American woman to do it since Sarah Hughes in 2002. She also helped Team USA win gold in the team event, earning her two Olympic gold medals.This is Alysa Liu's second big hiatus from competitive skating. She retired at 16 after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, but returned to the sport in 2024. Liu's comeback swiftly turned into another incredible story, as she won the 2025 World Championship and two Olympic gold medals in 2026.Liu revealed that her coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali, supported the decision she made to take a season off from competition. She said:“I came to them, and they totally understood where I was coming from. I did have to explain a little bit, but they didn’t think I needed to justify my reason for it or anything. So it was really chill.”Alysa Liu also stated that the decision made sense "logically, emotionally, and physically," and that she was following her intuition:“Logically and emotionally and physically, this just makes the most sense. I will miss seeing the international competitors at all the international (competitions), but there will be more, so it’s fine.”That approach has appealed to many fans, especially considering Liu's history of burnout and her choice to return to skating on her own terms.Her earlier retirement was motivated by a desire to live a more normal life and regain control of her career. Following her comeback, Liu opened up about how different skating felt now that she could make her own decisions about programs, music, and overall direction.The internet reacts to Alysa LiuLiu's decision to withdraw from competition for the full 2026-27 season drew mixed comments online, with some fans questioning the timing of her statement and the return of Russian skaters to international competition.One commenter questioned whether Liu's selection was motivated by the return of Russian skaters, asking:“Because the Russians are coming back?”Another pointed out the timing of Liu's career decisions, implying that the Russian return may have influenced her decision:“She quit her career in the season when Russians were competing > returned in the year when Russians were banned and won gold > as soon as the Russian ban is lifted, she's not participating again. The most honorable American.”A fan backed Alysa Liu, claiming that her decision had nothing to do with the Russian skaters:“Adelia and Samodelkina are Russian and both competed in the Olympics, Alysa had already said before the Russians even arrived that she wouldn't compete after the Olympics. The matter has nothing to do with the Russians....”Another user criticized Liu and suggested that the absence of Russia's top athletes at the Olympics benefited American skaters:“Ahaha Americans used anti-Russia lobby to farm easy wins at the Olympics with top Russian athletes banned and now they all gonna ‘take a break’ as soon as Russians are back.”A fan backed Liu's decision, citing her prior hiatus and subsequent success:"The last time she took a break, she came back and became WORLD and OLYMPIC champion. Yeah, I think she has earned the right to recalibrate. See you soon, champ."One fan was surprised by the timing, but guessed that Alysa Liu may be anticipating a more competitive field:"Taking the whole season off right after the gold is wild. either pure confidence or she knows the field is about to get way messier without the pressure of defending it."Another user applauded Liu for prioritizing her development over a demanding competitive schedule:"Honestly respect her for prioritizing her artistic growth over just chasing every single calendar event. Rest up and come back stronger."A user joked that Liu will return a "different species":"Fear not i’ll be back” is the most ominous thing a figure skater has ever said. She’s going into the mountains to unlock a new quad and return as a different species."Another user expressed confidence that supporters would be waiting for Alysa Liu's return, saying:"Indeed, we are not afraid. We have no fear. We are waiting for her to rerune from her hiatus."For the time being, Alysa Liu seems content to stay away from the spotlight, continue to improve her skating, and return on her terms. If her recent comeback is any indicator, fans may have a lot to look forward to when she returns.Stay tuned to Soap Central for more information.