Alysa Liu was living a life outside the spotlight three years ago after she abruptly retired from her blossoming figure skating career. Now, the Olympic champion is everywhere, mingling with Hollywood’s A-list.
The 20-year-old gold medalist recently joined Nike as one of its prominent endorsers. She joins the ranks of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James, and Cristiano Ronaldo as athletes with their own collections with the brand.
She was back in the sports realm last week—but this time, in the music world. Liu attended the iHeartRadio Music Awards and dazzled with her two-toned hair and a classic black gown. Her biggest moment came when she presented an award to singer Taylor Swift.
Liu was chosen to present the “Artist of the Year” award - one of the event’s biggest honors—to Swift.
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"When I won the gold medal at the Olympics on my own terms, I was honored and happy to have achieved the performance that I'd long dreamed of," Liu said during the presentation.
"And now, presenting this next icon with the award for Artist of the Year is an incredibly huge honor for me. With 34 iHeartRadio Music Awards — the most in history — she is the G.O.A.T. of music."
Their interaction has fans feeling ecstatic.
"MY BABIES 😭😭😭😭 THAT’S TAYDAUGHTER 💞💞💞💞💞," wrote one X user in a post made by a Taylor Swift-dedicated account that has more than 600,000 followers.
"My word this is crazy considering where she was in popularity even before the Olympics like wow," another one said about Liu.
"Omg this is an epic crossover for me," an Alysa Liu fan wrote.
"two legends I just screamed so bad I love themmm," quoted another.
Both Liu and Swift are viewed as icons who have redefined success in their own ways. The pop singer earned admiration a few years ago by reclaiming the rights to her previous songs and advocating for creative independence and business control over her work. She has remained a world-renowned artist ever since.
Liu did something similar in figure skating. She retired in 2022 and returned on her own terms. She said she now has the final say over her diet and creative decisions. She went on to win two gold medals in the 2026 Winter Olympics as a result.
