​Alysa Liu won gold in women’s singles and mixed team events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in MilanShe became the youngest U.S. National Champion at 13 and is celebrated for landing triple and quadruple AxelsLiu’s viral Olympic routine to Laufey’s “Promise” mirrored her personal journey and led to a feature in a music videoAlysa Liu has officially clinched the ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete!The 20-year-old Olympic figure skater won the coveted prize on Wednesday, July 15, at the 2026 ESPYS in New York City, where she beat out Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, Las Vegas Rookie Fernando Mendoza and San Jose Shark Macklin Celebrini.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“First of all, I’m really honored to be given this award,” Liu began inside the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. “I’ve been in my sport since I was 5 years old and I had some really rough times in it, I took two years off. So, for me, this really feels like I broke through in my own way, for myself, and for my sport. I love being an athlete, I couldn’t have done it without my team.”Liu dazzled audiences with her graceful moves and flawless tricks on the ice. Despite a quick mid-career retirement, Liu skated back into America’s heart at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics in February. She made history by winning gold in both the Women’s Singles and the Mixed Team event, becoming the first woman on Team USA to earn gold in singles since 2002.Alysa Liu at the 2026 Winter OlympicsCredit: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/GettyPrior to her gold medal win, Liu helped her team win bronze at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and placed sixth overall in the women’s singles competition. She is a two time U.S. National Champion (2019 and 2020) and became the youngest woman to win that title at just 13 years old.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe ice skater is celebrated for her high-level technical skills and joyful, creative presence on the ice. She is famously among the youngest skaters to land a triple Axel in competition and landed both quadruple and triple Axel jumps during international competitions.Liu went viral at the 2026 Winter Olympics with her performance to Laufey’s song “Promise.” The routine mirrored Liu’s personal journey of leaving competitive skating and returning on her own terms, ultimately securing her the Olympic gold.Alysa Liu on the 2026 ESPYS red carpetCredit: Theo Wargo/WireImageFollow your favorite athletes on and off the field with PEOPLE’s free sports newsletter — sign up now!The performance also resonated with the Grammy-winning artist, leading her to feature Liu alongside Megan Skiendiel, Lola Tung and Hudson Williams in the music video for her song “Mad Woman.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter winning two gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Liu did not return to the ice for the 2026 ISU Figure Skating World Championship.“As some of y’all already know, I withdrew from Worlds,” she said in a since-expir