16-Year-Old Olympic Figure Skater Alysa Liu Announces Early Retirement: 'I'm So Happy'

Skater Alysa Liu competes in the Beijing Winter Olympics.Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Olympic figure skaterAlysa Liuis ready to give up her skates!

Liu announced her early retirement from the sport in anInstagrampost on Saturday that featured a photo gallery of moments from throughout her career. “I’m here to announce that I am retiring from skating,” she began, “I started skating when I was 5 so that’s about 11 years on the ice and it’s been an insane 11 years.”

Though the athlete didn’t specify why she made the decision, Liu admitted the sport had not been a purely positive experience. “A lot of good and a lot of bad but that’s just how it is,” she noted.

“I’ve made so many friends, and so so sooo many good memories that I’ll have for the rest of my life,” Liu continued. “I honestly never thought I would’ve accomplished as much as I did. I’m so happy. I feel so satisfied with how my skating career has gone.”

Though full of good memories from the past years, Liu seemed to be optimistic about her next chapter. “Now that I’m finally done with my goals in skating I’m going to be moving on with my life,” she said, indicating her desire to enjoy “spare time with my family and friends.”

“This skating thing has taught me a lot more about life than I anticipated. I’m really glad I skated,” she concluded.

The news came shortly after federal charges were filed against five people accused of working for China’s secret police to stalk, harass, and spy on Chinese nationals living in the United States — including Alysa and her father.

Fan “Frank” Liu, 62, and Matthew Ziburis, 49, were arrested in New York on Tuesday, while Shujun Wang, 73, was detained Wednesday morning,according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Two others individuals — Qiming Lin, 59, and Quiang “Jason” Sun, 40 — remain at large, authorities said.

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All five stand accused of threatening and spying on Chinese people residing in the United States who’d expressed opposition to the Chinese Communist Party.

“All of the defendants charged today, at the direction of the PRC secret police, engaged in a series of actions designed to silence the free speech of Chinese dissidents in the United States,” Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office Michael J. Driscoll said in a statement.

“Transnational repression schemes pose an increasing threat against U.S. residents who choose to speak out against the People’s Republic of China and other regimes,” Driscoll continued. “The FBI is committed to protecting the free speech of all U.S. residents, and we simply will not tolerate the attempts of foreign governments to violate our laws and restrict our freedom.”

Alysa Liu, then 13 (right), with her father, Arthur Liu, after competing in 2019.Ray Chavez/Media News Group/The Mercury News/Getty

According to the elder Liu, he received a call in November from a man claiming to be an official with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee asking for his and his daughter’s passport numbers. He refused to provide that information, he told the AP, and instead contacted Olympic officials.

The charges the five accused men face include conspiracy, criminal use of means of identification, conspiracy to commit interstate harassment, conspiring to act as agents of the PRC government, and conspiring to bribe a federal official.

Prior to her retirement, Alysa was the 2022 World bronze medalist and a two-time U.S. national champion, with wins in 2019 and 2020.

source: people.com