2022 Beijing Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Free Skating - Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China - February 17, 2022. Alysa Liu of the United States in action. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File Photo
(Reuters) - Alysa Liu, the youngest woman to win a U.S. figure skating championship, announced on Friday she will end her retirement and return to competition next season.
Liu, still just 18-years-old, last competed at the 2022 world championships winning a bronze medal before retiring that April saying she had accomplished her figure skating goals.
"It was good for me to take time off from skating, and I am beyond excited to begin skating again with my newly found perspective," Liu said in a statement.
Liu, a two-time U.S. champion, won her first title in 2019 when just 13-years-old and repeated as national champion the next season.
She represented the U.S. at the 2022 Olympics, registering the top American result in the women's competition placing sixth.
A prolific jumper Liu became the youngest skater in history, and third U.S. woman, to land a triple Axel in international competition at age 12 and is also the first American woman to land a quadruple Lutz in a competition.
"We are very excited about Alysa's return," said Justin Dillon, U.S. Figure Skating senior director of athlete high performance. "We look forward to supporting Alysa in her career as she seeks to build on the success she has already achieved in recent seasons."
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Christian Radnedge)
