Why it’s so refreshing that Olympic champion Alysa Liu, who quit skating at 16, says she didn’t ‘need’ a gold medal

Alysa Liu, who quit skating at 16, didn’t ‘need’ a gold medal, she told reporters in Milan—she had already found joy.

The 20-year-old from California, who won the first individual Olympic gold in women’s figure skating for the U.S. after 24 years, didn’t need to be champion. She says she was just thrilled to perform.

“I don’t need this [medal],” Liu said right after winning, full of joy, while cheering on her competitors. “But what I needed was the stage and I got that, so I was all good.