Alysa Liu’s Olympic Breakout Turns Gold Medals Into 3.5 Million New Followers
Alysa Liu’s Olympic Triumph: From Gold Medals to 3.5 Million Followers in 3 Weeks
Alysa Liu emerged as one of Team USA’s biggest stars at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The 20-year-old was already an icon in the sport of figure skating heading into this year’s games, but her popularity increased drastically over the past three weeks.
This comes as no surprise considering how Liu dominated the field throughout the Games. For starters, she helped lead Team USA to a gold medal in the team event. She then bagged her second gold in the women’s individual free skate.
Liu is the first female American figure skater to win an individual gold in the Olympics since Sarah Hughes in 2002.
Alysa Liu of the United States celebrates with the gold medal in the women’s free skate.Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
(Katie Stratman-Imagn Images)
Liu has become a household name in the United States and beyond following her success in the Games. A testament to this is the growth of her social media following over a three-week period.
Team USA announced on Sunday that Liu’s followers blew up from 332,000 on Feb. 3 to a staggering 3.5 million on Feb. 22. The reigning World Figure Skating champion added 3.2 million followers between the start and the end of the Winter Olympics.
Liu’s incredible talent on the ice makes her one of, if not the best, in the world right now. However, what also sets her apart is the way she handles herself.
Liu grabbed headlines for what she did after winning gold in the free skate. She chose to share her big moment with her competitors to celebrate their victory. Liu was seen embracing Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai, who finished second and third, respectively.
Liu’s sportsmanship is admirable, and it’s no surprise that the fans are mesmerized by everything she does — both on and off the ice.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Olympics section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
