Alysa Liu says she wasn't allowed to drink water during her skating career

Alysa Liu told Rolling Stone that, as a teenage competitor, staff limited what she could drink and advised against drinking water. She returned to skating only after setting conditions about her career and has withdrawn from the upcoming World Championships in Prague.

Alysa Liu has discussed limits she faced around food and drink while competing as a teenager and has framed those experiences as part of why she stepped away from skating in 2022. She returned to the sport after a family skiing trip, but only after insisting on conditions about her coaching, styling, music and choices about food. In a recent interview she said team members discouraged drinking water during her earlier career. She has since taken more control over her career and announced she is withdrawing from the World Championships scheduled in Prague. Known details: - At age 13 Liu became the youngest U.S. national champion and later competed at the Beijing Olympics at 16. - Liu retired in 2022, then returned to competition after stating conditions about how she wanted to be coached and what she would eat. - In a Rolling Stone interview she said staff limited what she could drink as a teenager and advised against drinking water. - She has positioned herself as making her own career choices and recently withdrew from the upcoming World Championships in Prague. Summary: Liu's account describes restrictions on food and drink during her youth in the sport and is cited as part of her reasons for stepping away and later returning under her own terms. She has emphasized control over career decisions. Undetermined at this time.