Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu, a double gold medalist, has spoken out after fans crowded her at an airport and, in her words, got “all up in her space”.
The 20-year-old Team USA standout has drawn widespread attention since her standout showings at this year’s Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.
Alongside her eye-catching look — including horizontal-striped hair and a ‘smiley’ piercing — Liu delivered on the ice, taking home two gold medals: one in the women’s singles event and another as part of her team’s short program.
Her win also marked a major milestone for Team USA. Liu became the first American Olympic champion in women’s figure skating in more than two decades, since Sarah Hughes’ 2002 victory. She is also the first Team USA medalist in the discipline since Sasha Cohen in 2006.
Speaking after her victory, she said: “My family is out there, my friends are out there. I had to put on a show for them.
“When I see other people smiling, because I see them in the audience, I have to smile, too. I have no poker face.”
But Liu — who was born in Clovis, California — later described a distressing moment after traveling, saying someone followed her beyond the terminal and toward her vehicle.
In an Instagram Stories post shared Wednesday (March 4), she wrote: “So I land at the airport, & there’s a crowd waiting at the exit with cameras & things for me to sign. All up in my personal space. Someone chased me to my car bruh. Please do not do that to me.”
For elite athletes, winning on the Olympic stage can bring instant recognition, but that attention can quickly become uncomfortable when personal boundaries are ignored.
For Liu, the shift has been especially intense given she only returned to major competition after stepping away from competitive skating in 2022 — and then suddenly re-entered the spotlight on a global scale.
She also shared that once the Olympics were over and the medals were secured, she took several days to unwind and spend time with friends.
She told Teen Vogue: “After I won, [there] was no sleep…. I went home and I literally did whatever I wanted for five days. I didn’t have any media, and I had no commitments, so it was really great. I got to see a lot of my friends again, and just relax and catch up on sleep. I skated twice just because I wanted to.”
Online, many people applauded her candor and the way she talks about balance and rest, with one X user describing her as a ‘role model’ for young women, particularly in an era of constant pressure to be productive.
“Young skaters who can now grow up idolizing someone who isn’t afraid to rest, eat, and be true to themselves,” another person commented.
“I can’t help celebrating a woman succeeding with good values,” somebody else wrote.
“She’s definitely a good role model for the younger generation – to be a good person, be herself, enjoy what she’s doing, and stay strong while holding onto those good values and vibes.”