The U.S. figure skater, who retired from the sport in 2022 before making a comeback two years later, is helping Team USA to gold

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 06: Alysa Liu of Team United States competes in the Women's Single Skating - Short Program on day zero of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Alysa Liu competes in the women’s single short program during team event qualifiers.Credit : Matthew Stockman/Getty

Alysa Liu is back on Olympic ice — and looking better than ever.

The 20-year-old figure skater, who briefly retired after the 2022 Beijing Olympics before returning to the sport two years later, dominated Friday, Feb. 6 with a second-place finish in the women’s singles short program qualifier with her score of 74.90.

“I feel hyped. I feel really good right now. Until I watch the performance [back], it’s all good,” Liu told reporters including PEOPLE after the event, later adding, “People ask me about my mindset, which I’m really proud of. It took a lot to get here, and so I’m glad that I can share it on a global stage.”

Liu’s routine, set to Laufey’s “Promise,” includes seven technical elements: a triple flip, double axel, change foot combo spin, triple lutz and triple loop, flying camel spin, step sequence and layback spin. Only Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto scored higher, with a huge 78.88.

“I relate to ‘Promise’ a lot. I’ve been listening to that song since it came out and I just resonate with it and her voice moves me, it truly does,” she explained of her song choice.

Liu’s teammates Amber Glenn and Ilia Malinin were among the Team USA members supporting Liu as she skated to raucous applause from the American fans in attendance at Milan’s Unipol Forum.

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 06: Alysa Liu of Team United States competes in the Women's Single Skating - Short Program on day zero of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Joosep Martinson/Getty Images)
Alysa Liu competes in the women’s single short program during team event qualifiers.Joosep Martinson/Getty

The two-time Olympian built on the high scores from her teammates Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who finished first in the ice dancing rhythm dance qualifier, and pair Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, who took fifth. Liu’s score put Team USA back in first place heading into Saturday, Feb. 7, when Ilia Malinin will finish out the qualifiers with his short program.

Team event finals start Saturday, Feb. 7 concluding on Sunday, Feb. 8 with the medal ceremony.

Liu returned to figure skating in 2024 thanks to a renewed joy in the sport, she recently told PEOPLE.

“I was not there for the skating at all in my head,” Liu explained, looking back on four years ago. “I was checked out. I was just there for the Olympic experience.”

In the years after, Liu tried out “every hobby in existence,” and realized “a lot of aspects in figure skating actually follow in line with my interests” — especially the costumes.

“In figure skating, we have these gorgeous dresses and I love to design them,” Liu said. “I work really closely with my dress designer on them, so that part of figure skating I like.”

And this time around, Liu is “excited for the figure skating part of it all now.”

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.