Alysa Liu, American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist, has captured hearts around the world because of her can-do attitude and bright outlook on the Olympics.
Alysa Liu? Who is that?
20-year old Gen-Z figure skater Alysa Liu is an Olympic hero who can’t stop smiling. She’s made headlines with her unique alt look– most notably: her striped hair, thick eyeliner, and iconic upper-lip piercing, the “smiley” (NBC Chicago).
Born on August 8, 2005, Alysa Liu was raised in Richmond, California. At just 13 years old in 2019, she became the youngest ever U.S. Figure Skating Champion by landing three triple axles over her two programs (NBC Olympics).
“I skated everyday when I was like thirteen, fourteen. So, it was a very abnormal childhood,” says Alysa Liu when asked about the intensity of her childhood (60 Minutes).
Liu announced her retirement at 16 years old after capping her season with a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships (NBC Olympics). Her retirement came from a desire to live a normal life, pursue an education, and step away from a competitive lifestyle she felt she had no control over.
“I’m only sixteen.” She said at the time. “I want to do other stuff” (Scholastic Kids Press).
Alysa Liu’s Comeback
Liu spent her time away from skating enrolled at UCLA studying psychology–when a skiing trip reignited her competitive spark (ESPN). When she returned to competitive skating, she made sure to compete on her own terms.
“Living, doing a ton of other things… It made me realize what I liked to do. A lot of aspects in figure skating follow in line with my interests” (People.com).
Skating to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park Suite”, Liu opened her skate by landing a triple flip, followed by a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination that had the crowd clapping along to the beat (ESPN). This performance would award Liu with the first Olympic gold medal in women’s figure skating given to the United States in 24 years! (The Guardian)
Unable to contain her joy, Liu celebrated by turning to the camera and exclaiming, “That’s what I’m f—ing talking about!” (Yahoo! Sports)
Success Follows Alysa Liu
Off the ice, Alysa Liu is seen celebrating with her competitors and showing off a Pochita plushie (Also surprising fans that she is into Chainsaw Man). Liu has made it clear that it is not victory she is after– her success in figure skating comes from a joy in the sport and freedom in self-expression (The Geekiary).
“These titles are huge, but I don’t want them to overshadow who I am and what I do and what I am all about,” Liu says. “Winning isn’t all that, and neither is losing” (NBC Olympics).
Alysa Liu teaches us that maybe the secret ingredient to success is smiling. It’s definitely worked for her after all. We don’t lose anything from smiling, but we might win something!
