Team USA resolve skater Alysa Liu has change into undoubtedly one of the breakout stars of the 2026 Chilly weather Olympics, now not exact for her efficiency on the ice but moreover for her rise on social media.
Liu captured two gold medals at the Chilly weather Games. One in the physique of workers match and one in the individual ladies folks’s singles, marking the most most important individual Olympic gold for an American girl in resolve skating since 2002. Her victories safe turned her into a world sensation, attracting fans from spherical the globe.
Following her wins, Liu’s Instagram following surged from below 300,000 earlier than the Olympics to more than 5 million, surpassing fellow California-born Chinese-American Olympian Eileen Gu, who competes for Team China and has roughly 3.7 million followers. Fox News reported the scale of the amplify, noting it as undoubtedly one of the quickest social media growth spurts in the Games this 365 days.
Even Gu joined in celebrating Liu’s success, commenting “YESSSSSS” on undoubtedly one of Liu’s posts.
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Oakland prepares to honor fatherland hero
Liu, who grew up in Richmond and educated at Oakland Ice Center, has moreover inspired her local folks. The Metropolis of Oakland launched plans for a public celebration to honor her accomplishments.
“Alysa represents the coronary heart, grit, resilience, and pleasure of Oakland. Her fulfillment has stuffed our city with pleasure, and we’re coordinating alongside with her physique of workers now to finalize a date so the community can safe fun her collectively,” city officials stated.
Younger skaters are drawing inspiration from Liu’s high-tail. Native athlete Giada Lee instructed CBS News, “She comes from Oakland Ice, so it proves that anybody from right here can moreover high-tail to the Olympics and compete.”
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Both Liu and Gu are youngsters of Chinese immigrants raised in the Bay Recount. Whereas Gu selected to compete for China initiating in 2019, Liu and her family remained exact to Team USA.
Liu described the trip as “a little bit of bit freaky and thrilling,” recalling how her father’s previous activism fashioned her working out of the dignity they confronted.
