Alysa Liu’s Closing Ceremony Yawn Sparks Buzz After Historic Olympic Run
Alysa Liu’s ‘Bored’ Look at Olympic Closing Ceremony Sparks Buzz
The figure skating star captured two gold medals at the Milano Cortina Games, but seemed more than ready for it all to wrap up.
Alysa Liu became one of the breakout stars of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy for Team USA, taking home two gold medals and becoming the first American woman to do so since Sarah Hughes in 2002. The past few days have been nonstop for the 20-year-old from Oakland, California, and it showed that she was more than ready to head home and finally get some rest.
Before arriving in Italy, Liu was already known as a prodigy — the youngest U.S. national champion ever after winning the title at just 13 years old in 2019. She stepped away from the sport shortly after competing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics at age 16, before making her highly anticipated return to competitive skating in March 2024.
Feb 19, 2026; Milan, Italy; Alysa Liu of the United States celebrates with the gold medal and the American flag following the medal ceremony for the women’s free skate during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Along with her gold in the combined team event, it was her unforgettable free skate — performed in a striking gold dress — that truly stole the show and left the crowd in awe.
Her family shared fully in the moment, with Liu’s father delivering an unforgettable celebration from the stands as she secured the biggest win of her career.
Afterward, the newly crowned champion faced a packed schedule of media appearances, looking visibly exhausted the following morning during her stop on The Today Show.
She later appeared at the Closing Ceremony alongside teammates Ilia Malinin, Amber Glenn, Ellie Kam, and Madison Chock, posing together in a photo that quickly made the rounds online.
Liu’s viral Closing Ceremony moment
As the ceremony unfolded, broadcast cameras caught Liu yawning and appearing “bored” while standing in the crowd — a brief moment that instantly caught viewers’ attention.
If anyone earned the right to look exhausted, it was Liu.
Hopefully, the UCLA psychology student will finally get a chance to recharge once she makes it back home to California.
Liu’s explosive social media growth
Her Olympic success sent her popularity soaring, as Liu added more than four million Instagram followers during the Games — jumping from around 200,000 to roughly 4.4 million.
She has firmly cemented herself as the golden girl of these Olympics.
Feb 19, 2026; Milan, Italy; Alysa Liu of the United States celebrates with the gold medal following the women’s free skate at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. | James Lang-Imagn Images
