Overview
- Liu won the Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY at the ceremony in New York, beating nominees including Drake Maye, Fernando Mendoza and Macklin Celebrini.
- Her ESPY honors follow a return-from-hiatus run that yielded gold medals in both the women’s singles and the mixed team events at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
- Liu staged a roughly two-year break for mental-health reasons and schooling before returning on her own terms, and she later announced via Instagram Stories that she withdrew from the 2026 ISU World Championship to pursue other projects.
- Her Olympic gala routine went viral, led to a feature in a music video, and has driven mainstream opportunities such as a Louis Vuitton ambassadorship and high-profile red-carpet appearances.
- Liu says she is taking time for off-ice opportunities and selective public work, a shift that spotlights athlete agency and may influence how elite skaters balance competition, brand deals and personal wellbeing.