Team USA’s Alysa Liu is a 20 year old figure skater who is returning home from the 2026 Winter Olympics with two gold medals. Known for her chunky black lowlights, her DIY smiley piercing and her infectiously positive attitude, Alysa Liu has reshaped the preset for what an Olympic gold medalist can look like.
Born on August 8, 2005 in Clovis, California, Alysa Liu was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, and spent her childhood training in Oakland, California, as according to nbcolympics.com. Liu began skating at the young age of, 5 and was already competing at national levels by age 7.
Additionally, according to nbcolympics.com, In 1989, Liu’s father, Arthur Liu, immigrated to the U.S. from Guangzhou, China, which is northwest of Hong Kong. Liu is the eldest of five children, with two brothers and sisters. Her siblings Julia, Joshua and Justin are triplets, and all children were born via surrogacy.
In 2019, and at age 13, Liu became the youngest woman ever to win the U.S Championships. Moreover, in 2020, Alysa Liu made history as the first woman to land a quadruple jump in competition.
While Alysa Liu’s rise to fame is primarily in regards to her skating excellence, it seems that people from all over the world—specifically teenagers—have taken a liking to Liu as a person. From her broad and arguably seasoned music taste, to her daring to wear a golden getup in what turned out to be her gold-winning performance, it’s hard to not find something you love.
In her short program during the 2026 Winter Olympics, Liu skated to the song “Promise” by the well known Chinese-Icelandic singer Laufey. With Liu and Laufey both being of Chinese descent, this performance was beloved by Asain-Americans across the nation.
With “Promise” by Laufey having lyrics such as “I promised to distance myself” and “I broke my promise…I called you last night,” it’s clear that Liu’s short program was symbolic of her departure and return from professional skating.
Liu’s withdrawal from professional ice-skating occurred in April of 2022, when Liu was 16 and had just competed in the Beijing Winter Olympics. Liu won bronze at the World championships, causing her to feel burnt out from tirelessly committing herself to the art that no longer seemed to be serving her.
Two years later, in March of 2024, Liu posted a video on Instagram in which she announced her return to competitive skating. She noted that, unlike her previous career, she wanted to skate on her own terms. From that point forward, Liu began taking control of her training, choreography, and costume choices.
To embody her positive career choices, in her gold-winning performance, Liu skated to late American singer Donna Summer’s song “MacArthur Park Suit.” According to a snipbit of an article written by billboard.com, the song“MacArthur Park Suit” was released in 1978 during the disco era’s peak; making it clear Liu’s song choice was chosen to match her joyful, on-ice energy.
Liu began her gold-winning performance with a fluid free skate. Liu jumps began mimicking her song choice’s beat, and she danced freely through a footwork sequence, as according to the New York Times. Liu concluded her free skate with a lay-back spin in which she grabbed her skates blade and pulled it behind her back to create a Biellman finish.
Alysa placed the cherry on top of her triumphant Olympic performances by skating to Pink Pantheress’ “Stateside” remix with Zara Larsson in the Olympic gala. This short yet to-be-remembered performance was fierce, fun, and was a chance for Liu to celebrate her sweet golden victory.
From her joyous, fluid skating to her alternative fashion that works against stereotypes for ice-skaters, Alysa Liu is not only an olympic champion, but an infectiously cheerful person who many teenagers experiencing burnout can take inspiration from for her wonderful comeback.