Alysa Liu became arguably the country’s biggest star during the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Team USA figure skater entered Milano Cortina 2026 without an Olympic medal, after missing the podium at the 2022 Beijing Games, but left Milan with two gold medals.
Liu began her Olympic journey in Italy in the team event, joining fellow USA skaters Ilia Malinin, Amber Glenn, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Danny O’Shea and Ellie Kam. Competing in the qualification round, Liu contributed nine points as the United States finished with 69 total points to win gold, edging Japan by one point. The host country ended up finishing with the bronze medal after tallying 60 points.
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But Liu was not done there, setting her sights on a second medal in the women’s singles event. She opened with a 76.59 in the short program, putting her in third place entering the free skate. In her final performance, Liu posted a 150.29, the top score of the day, vaulting to a gold-medal finish with a combined score of 226.79, edging Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto (224.90).
Following the Winter Olympics, Liu has seen her fame skyrocket, gaining more than five million followers on Instagram alone. The 20-year-old figure skater has also returned to her hometown of Oakland, California, where several murals of her have been unveiled. It also appears Liu is embracing the post-Olympic spotlight, telling NBC News that she would love to compete again in the French Alps in 2030.
"Yeah, I mean, I like France, I think," Liu said when asked if she will compete at the 2030 Winter Olympics. "So, yeah, I would like to."
Liu is expected to continue figure skating at the 2026 ISU World Championships in Prague from March 24-29. Then, she could make her way back to the Olympics for the next Winter Games beginning on Feb. 1, 2030.