Feb 20, 2026 - News

Alysa Liu's journey from Oakland ice to Olympic gold

Shawna Chen

Left image: A young figure skater tying white ice skates while sitting on a bench in a black outfit. Right image: The same skater smiling, wearing a gold dress and gold medal, holding a large U.S. flag. — Left: 12-year-old Alysa Liu puts on her skates at the Oakland Ice Center in 2017. Right: Liu celebrates after winning gold at the Milano Olympics on Feb. 19. Photos: Aric Crabb/MediaNews Group/Bay Area News and Tang Xinyu/VCG via Getty Images

The Bay Area erupted in raucous cheers this week after hometown hero Alysa Liu ended a 24-year U.S. drought in women's figure skating at the Milan Olympics.

Why it matters: Liu, a Richmond native who grew up skating in Oakland and San Francisco, is bringing home gold as the first American Olympic champion since Sarah Hughes in 2002.

The latest: Amid an outpouring of love from Bay Area organizations ranging from Visit Oakland to the San Jose Sharks, fans are calling for Oakland to host a parade for Liu upon her return from Milan.

BART got in on the fun, issuing congratulations to "BART rider Alyssa Liu" alongside a screenshot of an interview in which she discusses her public transit route to her training facility in San Francisco.

Catch up quick: Liu, 20, began skating at age 5 at the Oakland Ice Center after her father took her to a public skating session, according to the Mercury News.

The oldest of five, she attended Oakland School for the Arts before deciding to homeschool so she could travel for competitions.
After becoming the youngest national champion in 2019 and adding a string of firsts to her name, she retired in 2022, telling the San Francisco Chronicle she wanted to experience life outside of skating.

Her triumphant comeback in 2024 came with a bold new look: striped hair and a frenulum piercing.

What she's saying: "What is up, Bay Area? I hope you're all as hyped as me right now!" Liu said in an interview with NBC Bay Area shortly after her win on Thursday.

Here's a look back at her historic career.

Young female figure skater in a black and red costume with long sleeves and beige tights mid-performance on ice rink, arms extended for balance. — Liu competes in the novice section during the Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy in 2017 in Hong Kong, the start of a meteoric rise to fame. Photo: Power Sport Images via Getty Images

Figure skater in black performs an impressive Biellmann spin on ice, lifting one leg high while balancing on the other. A coach in black winter clothes watches nearby on the rink. — Liu practices next to coach Laura Lipetsky at the Oakland Ice Center in 2019. She is already the youngest skater in U.S. history to complete a triple axel. Photo: Ray Chavez/Media News Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images

Figure skater in a sparkly black and gray costume mid-jump at the 2019 GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships, with a crowd watching in the background. — Liu competes in the free skate during the 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. At 13, she becomes the youngest-ever U.S. women's national champion. Photo: Gregory Shamus via Getty Images

Three women seated against a US Figure Skating Championship 2020 backdrop. The young woman in the center wears a red jacket and holds a white-and-gray plush toy, looking excited. The other women wear black. — Liu wins gold during the 2020 U.S. figure skating championships in North Carolina, making her the youngest two-time women's U.S. champion. Photo: Matthew Stockman via Getty Images

Female figure skater in a red dress performing a spin on ice with one leg extended, Olympic rings and "Beijing" text visible in the blue background. — Liu makes her Olympic debut in Beijing in 2022 and comes in sixth. After earning bronze at the 2022 world championships, she announces her retirement from the sport. Photo: Aleksey Kirchu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Female figure skater in a beige costume performing a sit spin on the ice, holding her right skate blade with both hands while balancing on her left leg. — Liu returns to competition in 2024. "I really am the one deciding for myself what to do," she tells U.S. Figure Skating. "It's liberating." Photo: Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty Images

Smiling young woman in black Nike sweatshirt giving a high five at an indoor ice skating rink, with ice skaters in the background and personal items on the red barrier. — Liu works on her Milan Olympics routine in San Francisco last summer, shortly after becoming the world champion — the first American woman to do so since 2006. Photo: Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Figure skater in a sparkling gold costume performs a spin with a winking smile on her face against a background featuring blurred Olympic rings. — Liu vaults to first place at the Milan Olympics after her free skate on Feb. 19 and is captured yelling into the camera, "That's what I'm f-cking talking about!" as she exits the ice. Back home, a watch party at Oakland Ice Arena erupts in cheers. Photo: Jamie Squire via Getty Images

Female athlete with dark brown and blonde hair bites a gold Olympic medal while wrapped in a red, white, and blue flag, wearing a gold-sequined dress on an ice rink. — Liu becomes an icon overnight. An X post drawing parallels between Liu and Bay Area rapper Mac Dre goes viral. Photo: Jean Catuffe via Getty Images

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Alysa Liu's journey from Oakland ice to Olympic gold

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