With a total score of 226.79, 20-year-old Alysa Liu became the first American woman in 24 years to win the individual figure skating gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Born and trained in Oakland, California, the local athlete impressed the world with a near-flawless routine to Donna Summer’s MacArthur Park Suite. But her fame extended far beyond the Olympics. Through interviews and social media posts, Liu’s personality shone through and her popularity skyrocketed as people connected with the person behind the gold medal.
“She’s someone who inspires people and genuinely who I aim to try to be to people I just meet,” FHS freshman Isabella Mendiola said. “She’s very nice and her style is out there. She inspired me to dye my hair in later years.”
Liu’s interviews portray her as an ordinary person: she watches anime, her favorite character from My Little Pony is Rainbow Dash and she thrifts her clothing. These quirks, as well as her halo hair and smiley piercing, set her apart from the traditional image many people associate with Olympic athletes. Compared to the highly curated media that surrounds a lot wof celebrities, Liu is relatable due to her normality.
“Especially with her super recognizable hair, she’s not afraid to stand out and be who she is, especially in the world of figure skating where people are forced to not express themselves because of public opinion,” FHS sophomore Harshitha Vishnu said. “When I think ‘figure skater,’ I think of far away, untouchable entities. But then this feeling of Alysa being from here and her niche interests makes me connect to her.”
In addition to her personality and style, Liu resonates with many people because she is from California. With the women’s figure skating scene being primarily dominated by Russian skaters, seeing an American gold medalist is exciting. Seeing that such a big figure grew up and trained no more than 40 minutes from FHS goes to show that greatness is within reach.
“There’s no other athlete that I’ve seen who is this celebrated and from Oakland,” FHS sophomore Kathleen Lei said. “I am really happy that my town is receiving attention. She’s also good representation for Wasians (people of both white and Asian ancestry), being accredited to very good work [rather than] the comedic relief that Asian representation has been confined to in the past.”
An important aspect of Liu’s success is the representation that comes with it. As a Chinese American figure skater, she has brought more attention towards Asian American visibility, particularly as the first biracial American gold medalist in the Olympic women’s figure skating. She continues to inspire people to embrace their authentic selves by treating her identity as a source of pride.
Liu has also used her platform for advocacy, speaking about mental health awareness, immigrant rights and support for marginalized communities. It is refreshing to see a local athlete make it big while still remaining grounded and using her voice to advocate for what she believes in.
