Early Life and Education of Alysa Liu: A Complete Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 16, 2026

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Alysa Liu. A timeline of key moments.

Alysa Liu is a prominent American figure skater who made history as the youngest woman to win the U.S. national senior title, achieving the feat at age 13 in 2019. She successfully defended her national title the following year and became the first American woman to land a triple axel and a quadruple jump in the same international competition. A versatile and technically gifted skater, Liu gained significant attention for her rapid ascent in the sport. In 2022, she represented the United States at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, where she earned a seventh-place finish in the women's singles event. Following her Olympic appearance, Liu announced her retirement from competitive figure skating at the age of 16, marking the end of a brief but highly impactful career that helped redefine the technical standards of women's skating in the United States.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1989: Arthur Liu's Exile to the United States

In 1989, Arthur Liu, a Chinese dissident and graduate student, fled China for the United States through Operation Yellowbird following the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square Protests.

August 8, 2005: Birth of Alysa Liu

Alysa Liu was born on August 8, 2005, marking the beginning of the life of the future American figure skating champion.

June 22, 2020: Coaching Change Announcement

On June 22, 2020, Alysa Liu announced that she was transitioning to a new coaching team consisting of Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali. Additionally, she confirmed that she would continue residing in Oakland while collaborating remotely with Canadian coaches Lori Nichol and Lee Barkell through video conferencing and visits to Toronto.

December 2020: Addition of Jeremy Abbott to Coaching Team

In December 2020, figure skater Alysa Liu officially expanded her training staff by recruiting former four-time U.S. men's national champion Jeremy Abbott to join her coaching team.

June 2021: High School Graduation

In June 2021, at the age of 15, Alysa Liu successfully graduated from high school after having transitioned to the California Connections Academy homeschooling program.

2023: Enrollment at UCLA

During the fall of 2023, Alysa Liu began her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she is pursuing a degree in psychology.