FIGURE SKATING: Olympic champion Alysa Liu to skip 2026-27 season

Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu said on Tuesday she will sit out the upcoming season to fine-tune her technique but reassured fans she would return to the sport.

Liu became the first American woman since 2002 to capture Olympic gold in women's singles at this year's Milano Cortina Games, where she also helped the United States to gold in the team event.

"I always want to challenge myself in new ways, so my artistry and skating can evolve," Liu wrote in a social media post, adding that she would take time to "recalibrate".

"It's important to me that my sport reflects my personal growth.

"So fear not, I'll be back, and in the meantime I'll be rooting for my teammates near and far."

In an interview with NBC Sports on Tuesday, Liu said she was planning to work on her "overall artistry, spins, jumps, everything" during her break from competition and intended to return in the 2027-28 season.

"I just felt this was right. So I'm trusting my instincts," she added.

Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters