Olympic figure skating star Alysa Liu, who won two gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, left fans in shock after she unexpectedly withdrew from the upcoming World Figure Skating Championships that were held in Prague.
The event was said to be scheduled for later this month. Her name was removed from the official entry list and replaced by fellow American skater Sarah Everhardt. The exact timing of this has given rise to widespread discussion because it came just days after a disturbing encounter with fans at an airport following her return to the US.
{img}In the story shared through Instagram, Liu was seen describing her experience while arriving at a crowd waiting with cameras, feeling so overwhelmed by people invading her personal space, and stating how someone even ended up chasing her to the car, which is something she found to be so frightening.
{img}She did not link the frightening fan incident to her decision to skip the tournament. Many were seen speculating online that concerns about privacy and safety might have arisen after her Olympic success, which impacted her decision.