The 2026 Winter Olympics were chalked full of controversy – particularly in figure skating – and United States star figure skater and reigning gold medalist Alysa Liu is finally speaking out.
During a recent conversation with the New York Times, Liu addressed the “work culture” that dominates the figure skating world. “It was crazy. I had not a day off. I would not want any kid to not have a day off. Coaches need better training,” she said, which prompted a comment about the potential to modernize the sport.
Her response touched on two different controversies that faced the American figure skating team in Milan last month.
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Liu made it clear the sport needs to go through a dramatic change on several fronts.
“Things gotta change, 100 percent. I think the whole system’s got to scrap it and start over. The competition system and the setup just isn’t fit for consumption, honestly, because the competitions are too long, no one can sit through and watch all that,” she admitted.
“And people don’t understand the scoring. Sometimes I don’t either,” she said bluntly, touching on the numerous scoring controversies that popped up during the Olympics. But she wasn’t done there.
She further suggested the selection of music and copyright issues are a major problem plaguing figure skating – something fellow Team USA star figure skater Amber Glenn learned the hard way last month.
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