Position Paper 1- Demographics

 Alysa Liu and the Olympics


With the recent 2026 Milan/Cortina Winter Olympics, everyone is talking about the highest achieving athletes of the competition. Alysa Liu, the Chinese-American Olympic gold winning champion, is absolutely no exception. Figure skating is always one of the most popular events of the games, but Liu's social media presence, brand collaborations, and performance choices have truly made her an American favorite that stands out and appeals to the targeted viewers for the Olympics. 

2026 USA Olympic Figure Skaters
Alysa Liu has gone viral across the internet due to both her incredible figure skating skills and how she expresses herself while off the ice. Most viewers will immediately recognize Liu due to her unique halo-inspired dyed hair and smiley piercing. Her personal style acts as her own branding, setting her apart from the other Olympic skaters. 


Although Liu stands out from the other female figure skaters, a large part of why fans love her so much is how she has consistently maintained good sportsmanship throughout her recent skating endeavors. Liu's skating history has gone viral over the internet, as she actually retired from skating in 2022 after the Beijing Winter Olympics. After returning to figure skating in 2024, her overall positive attitude toward the extremely competitive figure skating world has been a breath of fresh air for many competitors. This led to the top three female figure skaters competing for the US, Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, and Isabeau Levito, forming a friendship trio nicknamed the "Blade Angels." 


In addition to funny social media videos while off the ice, Liu has consistently been seen with her fellow athletes, bringing their camaraderie to the forefront of the media coverage in between events. 
@teamusa Always each other’s biggest fans 🫶 📺 @NBC & @Peacock #amberglenn #alysaliu #winterolympics #figureskating #figureskatingtiktok ♬ original sound - Team USA
Liu also brought a joyful attitude to her own training and performances. In many interviews, she stated that her focus was on her skating journey, rather than solely focusing on winning. 
@raymondbraun Alysa Liu built a champion's mindset. Her perspective, gratitude, boundary setting, and commitment to skating from a place of joy helped her step onto Olympic ice feeling "calm, happy, and confident," and deliver a gold-medal performance. Here, @frigouscigous shares the mental work and preparation that have propelled her forward as a 2x gold medalist figure skater, but more importantly, as a human. #MilanoCortina2026 #WinterOlympics #Olympics #TeamUSA #FigureSkating ♬ Forever (From "Euphoria: Season 1" Soundtrack) - Labrinth
It's never a surprise to see the most popular athletes star in brand collaborations during the Olympic Games, and Alysa Liu definitely chose a fantastic brand to work with. Due to the extravagant costumes and makeup that many figure skaters wear while being watched my millions, many of the competing women share what products that they use to maintain a consistent, structured appearance while on the ice. Liu worked with Gillette Venus to advertise the Venus MoistureGlide Gold Razor. 


This brand collab features Liu showing off some of her iconic skating while in a golden figure skating outfit. Her appearance in the ad caused many viewers to think of her Olympic gold winning performance. Liu also promoted herself through the brand collab on her Instagram. 


 Liu's collaboration with Gillette Venus was a natural choice, as the brand has established itself as a strong sponsor for US Figure Skating. 



Social media, especially Instagram, have contributed to Alysa Liu's popularity with figure skating fans, both by showing behind the scenes images of her personal life as well as acting as a form of self promotion. With many sports commentators focusing on Liu's iconic appearance, many of Liu's recent posts on Instagram leading up to the Olympic games revolved around touch ups to her hair. 

Many fans were also able to familiarize themselves with the figure skating star well before the Olympic games as Liu consistently posted behind the scenes looks at her training routine. One of the most popular clips on the internet was Liu's visit to The Tonight Show. Liu charismatically showed off her hair, fashion sense, and artistic figure skating skill as she quizzed the show's host, Jimmy Fallon, on some of her most popular skating moves. 


Liu also utilizes her unique taste in fashion and music to support her routines while competing. Although traditional figure skating competitions often require for skaters to use music without lyrics, the International Skating Union decided to allow music with words in competitions in 2014. However, it is still uncommon for figure skaters to utilize the new rules due to legal issues that have to be taken care of before their performance. Alysa Liu's routines not only included lyrics but also incorporated music that stands out due to being trends at one point or another. Her choice in music for her short program, "Promise" by Icelanding singer Laufey, is extremely popular among younger audiences. The emotional aspect of the song worked well with the soft white design of Liu's skating outfit to produce a unique, somber tone for her performance. 


After ranking third in the women's short program, Liu brought a more energetic performance to her free skate routine. Entering the rink with a fully golden outfit and skating to Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park," her excitement as she performed truly showed her desire to simply be on the ice and show her art. Her routine was strong enough to earn her the golden medal, the first for an American woman in 24 years, as well as the praise of millions. 


After her gold winning performance, Liu was able to perform once last time for the Olympic Gala. Her music choice, "Stateside" by PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson, was extremely upbeat and energetic and Liu effortlessly mirrored its tone with her joyful performance. 


Liu's gala routine went viral overnight because of the song's popularity and her ability to seamlessly blend her personal artistic style with catchy dance moves and technical ability. Her prior popularity had no small part in her routine's popularity as many fans have begun to mimic her mannerisms and style. 

@stephrevans

Did my best, and my best was mediocre 😂

♬ original sound - Steph Evans


Alysa Liu's popularity has done nothing but increase since she was first announced as one of the women's singles figure skaters for Team USA. Her iconic performances and personal style have cemented her as a cultural figure even outside of competitions. News sources such as the The Athletic and Vanity Fair have commented on her influence, nothing that she has earned millions of followers on her social media accounts throughout and after the 2026 Winter Olympics. With how popular Alysa Liu's performances and charisma were during her performances, behind the scenes clips, and brand collaborations, all eyes are currently on her to see what the gold-winning champion will do next. 





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts