Wu Hai / EPA
Alysa Liu at the 2026 Winter Olympics figure skating final
Young North American makes everyone smile; because she smiles. Which ending? For her, it’s a joke. She is an Olympic champion.
Women’s final figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympicsin Milan-Cortina.
After the , there was a feeling that victory would go to Japan: Ami Nakai in first, Kaori Sakamoto in second, Mone Chiba in fourth. Someone would win.
The point is that, in between, there was an intruder among the three Japanese women: Alysa Liu. Which actually sounds like an Asian name, more from China.
And it is a Chinese name, in fact. Or with Chinese origin. Alysa Liu was born in the USA 20 years ago, in Clovis, California; but his parents are Chinese.
But back to .
As she was in third place, she was the second to last to enter the ice rink. And when you enter… delirium in the stands.
It’s just that, as soon as she enters the track, Alysa Liu shows her unique style: smiles, walks around, makes some playful gestures, is relaxed. Even your hair is different.
She is different from the rest.
Start listening, by Donna Summer. There she goes, gliding in her golden dress. Dancing. It looks like “just another” figure skating event. It is not.
It looks like an exhibition gala. Beauty. Alysa Liu, aged 20, is there having fun. Which Olympic final? For her, it’s a joke.
The music starts to speed up. The skater is genuinely enjoying the moment. With relaxation. And this can be seen at several moments during the test.
It’s over. Touch your hair, it seems provocative Even when leaving the track it is completely loose, light; laugh, jump. Tension is not her thing.
🇺🇸 THE ULTIMATE AMERICAN REVENGE STORY 🇺🇸
The script couldn’t have written it better. In 1989, Arthur Liu fled China as a political refugee after the Tiananmen Square massacre. He came to America with nothing but a dream for a free life.
Decades later, his daughter Alysa Liu…— Afshine Emrani MD FACC (@afshineemrani)
Forget what you usually see in figure skating.
The closed faces, completely focused (and serious)… doesn’t happen here. Contrary to what was seen in the next finalist, Kaori Sakamoto.
With this unique style, Alysa Liu was national champion in the USA at 13 years old (the youngest ever). Junior Grand Prix winner. World champion last year.
She who, at the age of 16, announced… her retirement.
She who, before the 2022 Olympic Games (in Beijing), was spied on by China. She and her family. China tried to have the skater represent the country of her parents, rather than the country of her birth.
Ah, Alysa Liu is a new olympic champion.
Nuno Teixeira da Silva, ZAP //
