Following her dominant performance at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, where she secured gold in both the women’s singles and team events, Alysa Liu has found herself navigating an unprecedented level of public attention. The 20-year-old Oakland native, who is also a two-time U.S. national champion and a two-time Grand Prix medalist, admitted during a recent homecoming press conference that she is still adjusting to her newfound fame. Expressing surprise at the rapid shift in her public profile, Liu remarked, “We don’t blow up like that,” noting that figure skaters are typically unaccustomed to such sudden, massive surges in celebrity.
The scale of this transition is reflected in her social media metrics, which saw her Instagram following skyrocket from 200,000 to 7.7 million in just a few days. Despite this “crazy” influx of interest, the athlete remains grounded, emphasizing that she prefers to prioritize steady, long-term development over the distractions of media hype. Liu explained that she is consciously avoiding dwelling on the intense public scrutiny, as she believes focusing too heavily on the attention could detract from her athletic goals.
During the same media session, Liu addressed her choice to withdraw from the upcoming ISU World Figure Skating Championships, scheduled for March 24th to 29th at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic. While she acknowledged a desire to compete on the world stage and solidify her legacy among the global field of athletes, she cited significant logistical challenges. Liu pointed to a rigid, time-bound schedule that would hinder her training routine, warning that participating in the event could negatively impact her overall performance.
With Liu stepping aside, fellow American skater Sarah Everhardt is set to take her place at the championships. As the skating community prepares for the event in Prague, Liu continues to evaluate her commitments, balancing her professional trajectory with the demands of her recent Olympic success.
From just 200,000 followers, her Instagram audience has now grown to 7.7 million in a matter of a few days.
Reflecting on the popularity boost, she said
