Alysa Liu 2022 Olympics Place: A Chronological Overview

At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Alysa Liu finished in 7th place in the women’s individual figure skating event. She earned a total combined score of 208.95 points, following a short program score of 69.50 and a free skate score of 139.45, making her the highest-ranking American woman in the competition.

The Path to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

Alysa Liu entered the 2022 Olympic season as one of the most anticipated American figure skaters in a generation. Having won her first U.S. National Championship at age 13 in 2019—becoming the youngest woman ever to do so—and defending that title in 2020, Liu was the face of the "quad revolution" in the United States. However, the road to Beijing was not a straight line. Between 2020 and 2022, Liu underwent significant physical growth, which is a common challenge for elite skaters. This period required her to relearn her jumping technique and navigate several coaching changes.

By the start of the 2021-2022 season, Liu had moved her training base multiple times, eventually settling into a collaborative coaching environment that included Jeremy Abbott and Christy Krall. Her performance at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy secured a third Olympic spot for the U.S. women, underscoring her importance to the national team. Despite these successes, the final months leading up to the Olympics were defined by uncertainty and the looming threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

January 2022: The U.S. Championships and the COVID-19 Setback

The official selection for the U.S. Olympic team took place at the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Nashville, Tennessee. Liu entered the event as a favorite for the podium. However, after a strong short program that placed her in third, Liu was forced to withdraw from the competition prior to the free skate due to a positive COVID-19 test.

This withdrawal created a moment of high tension for the skater. To qualify for the Olympic team without finishing the national qualifying event, Liu had to submit a medical petition to U.S. Figure Skating. Her petition was granted based on her consistent international track record throughout the season, including her performances on the Grand Prix circuit. While she was named to the team alongside Mariah Bell and Karen Chen, the lack of a full competitive outing in January meant she arrived in Beijing with less recent "mileage" than many of her competitors.

February 15, 2022: The Women’s Short Program

The women’s individual event at the Capital Indoor Stadium began on February 15. Liu performed her short program to "Gypsy Dance" from the ballet Don Quixote. In the months leading up to the Games, there had been much speculation about whether she would attempt her signature triple axel, a jump that had become inconsistent during her growth spurt.

Strategically, Liu and her team opted for a "clean" program over a high-risk one. She performed a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, a triple flip, and a double axel. The technical execution was precise, and the judges rewarded her with high marks for her spins and footwork, which had seen marked improvement in maturity and expression.

Key statistics from the Short Program:

• Segment Score: 69.50
• Technical Element Score (TES): 36.85
• Program Component Score (PCS): 32.65
• Placement: 8th going into the free skate

While she sat in 8th place, the gap between her and the top five was narrow, and she was positioned as the top American, narrowly ahead of Mariah Bell.

February 17, 2022: The Women’s Free Skate

The free skate, held on February 17, was a transformative moment for Liu’s career. Skating to "Violin Concerto in D Major" by Tchaikovsky, she delivered a performance that was widely praised for its infectious joy and technical resilience. Unlike many of her competitors who were under immense pressure or involved in the surrounding controversies of the Games, Liu appeared to genuinely enjoy her time on the ice.

Her free skate included seven triple jumps, including two triple-triple combinations. While she did not include a triple axel or a quadruple jump—elements she had landed earlier in her career—the decision to focus on stability and performance quality paid off. Her jumps were largely clean, and her "program components"—the artistry and skating skills—reflected a skater who had successfully transitioned from a prodigy into a mature artist.

Key statistics from the Free Skate:

• Segment Score: 139.45
• Technical Element Score (TES): 71.86
• Program Component Score (PCS): 67.59
• Placement in Segment: 7th

Upon finishing her program, Liu broke into a wide smile and shed tears of relief. The performance was a personal victory, proving she could compete at the highest level of the sport after a tumultuous two-year period of physical and coaching changes.

Technical Scoring and Judges' Evaluation

To understand Liu’s 7th place finish, one must look at the International Judging System (IJS) breakdown. Figure skating scores are divided into two main categories: Technical Element Score (TES) and Program Component Score (PCS).

Technical Element Score (TES)

Liu’s TES in the free skate (71.86) was robust, but it could not compete with the technical ceiling of the Russian skaters who landed multiple quadruple jumps. At the 2022 Olympics, the "base value" of quadruple jumps was significantly higher than the triple jumps Liu performed. However, Liu maximized her score through "Grade of Execution" (GOE) points. By landing her jumps with good flow and height, she earned positive additions from the judges, which helped her outrank several skaters who attempted harder jumps but fell or had "under-rotation" penalties.

Program Component Score (PCS)

The PCS measures skating skills, transitions, performance, composition, and interpretation. In 2022, Liu’s PCS reflected a significant leap in her artistry. Earlier in her career, she was often criticized for having "junior-level" skating skills—meaning her edges and power were not as developed as older skaters. By the 2022 Olympics, her maturity was evident, and her scores in the 8.40 to 8.60 range (out of 10) placed her among the elite performers in the world.

The Impact of the 2022 Olympic Environment

The 2022 women’s event was one of the most controversial in Olympic history due to the positive drug test of Kamila Valieva, the gold-medal favorite from the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). The atmosphere at the rink was heavy with tension, legal appeals, and media scrutiny.

Amidst this chaos, Alysa Liu became a "breath of fresh air" for many observers. Her visible happiness and lack of involvement in the podium-level drama allowed her to finish the event as a sentimental favorite. Her 7th place finish was noteworthy not just for the rank itself, but for being achieved in a field that featured some of the highest technical difficulty in the history of the sport.

Comparison with Other U.S. Competitors

The U.S. sent three women to the Beijing Games. The final results highlighted a very close level of competition within the American camp, but Liu’s consistency across both programs gave her the edge.

Liu’s performance was the best finish for an American woman at the Olympics since 2014, when Gracie Gold finished 4th and Ashley Wagner finished 7th. It cemented Liu as the leader of the U.S. women’s field at that time.

Chronological Summary of 2022 Olympic Results

The following table provides the final standings for the top performers in Beijing to show where Liu’s 7th place stood relative to the world’s elite.

Post-Olympic Trajectory and 2026 Status

Immediately following the 2022 Olympics, Alysa Liu competed in the 2022 World Championships in Montpellier, France. Riding the momentum from Beijing, she won the bronze medal, becoming the first American woman to medal at Worlds since 2016. Shortly after that achievement, at just 16 years old, Liu announced her retirement from competitive figure skating, citing a desire to pursue other interests and having achieved her goals in the sport.

However, as of 2026, Liu’s story has a new chapter. After a two-year hiatus, she announced a return to competitive skating in 2024. Her 2022 Olympic 7th place finish is now viewed not as the end of a career, but as the pinnacle of her first "phase" in the sport. Her resilience during the 2022 cycle, specifically her ability to overcome COVID-19 and the technical challenges of puberty, serves as a blueprint for younger skaters navigating similar transitions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Alysa Liu win a medal at the 2022 Olympics?

No, Alysa Liu did not win a medal in the individual event, finishing 7th. She also did not participate in the Team Event, as Karen Chen was selected to skate both the short and free segments for the U.S. team in that category. The U.S. team eventually won gold (upgraded from silver) in the team event, but Liu was not a recipient as she did not skate in it.

Why didn't Alysa Liu perform a triple axel in Beijing?

Liu opted for a more conservative and reliable program layout to ensure a high completion rate. Having struggled with the consistency of her triple axel during a significant growth spurt in 2021, she prioritized clean landings and high "Grade of Execution" (GOE) points. This strategy proved successful, as she finished as the top American skater.

What was Alysa Liu's score in the 2022 Olympics?

Her total combined score was 208.95. This was composed of 69.50 points in the short program and 139.45 points in the free skate. Her free skate score was particularly high due to her clean technical execution and improved artistry.

Who coached Alysa Liu during the 2022 Olympics?

At the time of the Beijing Games, Liu was coached by a team that included Christy Krall, Drew Meekins, and Viktor Pfeifer. She had previously spent a significant portion of her career with Laura Lipetsky and had a brief training stint in Italy with Lorenzo Magri before returning to the U.S. prior to the Olympics.

How old was Alysa Liu during the 2022 Winter Olympics?

Alysa Liu was 16 years old during the 2022 Olympics. She had been a prominent figure in U.S. skating since she was 13, making her one of the most experienced teenagers in the field.

Practical Recommendation for Following Alysa Liu’s Career

For those interested in Alysa Liu’s technical development and her 2026 comeback, the most reliable way to track her progress is through the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone and the International Skating Union (ISU) biography pages. These sources provide verified scoring protocols and jump-by-jump breakdowns that illustrate how her technical content has evolved from her 2022 Olympic appearance to her current competitive form. Watching her 2022 Olympic free skate alongside her more recent performances provides a clear view of her growth in skating skills and edge work.