Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu has been making history. On Thursday (Feb. 19) the 20-year-old won America's first gold medal in the Winter Olympics' women's free skating event since 2002. In interviews, she's been expressing her love for PinkPantheress, and today she skated to the Zara Larsson remix of "Stateside" at the Olympic figure skating exhibition gala at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.
Earlier in the week, reporter Raymond Braun showed Liu a video of PinkPantheress giving her a message: "Alysa, lots of love, thank you so much for supporting me. I hope that you have a really good show. You are so inspiring and when I was younger I was obsessed with figure skaters so you are literally living my dream. Thank you so much for the love." Liu reacted by saying PinkPantheress is her favorite artist and that if she did the Olympic Gala she would skate to "Stateside."
Aside from her astounding skills, Liu has been a favorite in the media because of her authentic personality and alternative style, including halo hair and a smiley piercing. Her story is also endlessly inspiring: She retired from the sport at the age of 16 after her 2022 Olympic debut in Beijing due to burnout, and resumed two years later to continue pursuing her passion. She also offers good advice: "Don't try to be the next me." Watch her performance from today below.
Alysa Liu has two gold medals and she is still having the time of her life at the gala exhibition.
— Kim "Katie" USA (@KimKatieUSA) February 21, 2026
pic.twitter.com/fHGCm63HIw
@raymondbraun PinkPantheress surprised Alysa Liu with a message of support ahead of her upcoming figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics. When I last interviewed Alysa and asked what she’d include in her mental health toolkit, the very first thing she mentioned was a song by PinkPantheress, her favorite artist. I reached out to Pink and was so thrilled to receive this message to share with Alysa the day before she begins competition in the women’s figure skating finals. Huge thanks to Pink and her amazing team for making this moment possible. ? Alysa, so many of us are cheering you on and wishing you an incredible week of skating. So proud of you. @frigouscigous @??☺️ #TeamUSA #MilanoCortina2026 #WinterOlympics #Olympics
♬ Stateside + Zara Larsson - PinkPantheress
@nbcchicago Gold medal figure skater Alysa Liu reveals her plan to skate to PinkPantheress' viral remix to her song "Stateside" with Zara Larsson at the Olympic Exhibition Gala on Saturday. stateside pinkpantheress zaralarsson alysaliu winterolympics
♬ original sound - NBC Chicago - NBC Chicago
@pitchfork Jumping on aux is an Olympic sport. Here are Perfect 10s from Team USA's Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, and Red Gerard
♬ original sound - Pitchfork
Alysa Liu Uses Gold Medal To Gauge Ear
— The Onion (@theonion.com) 2026-02-20T20:30:08.038346422Z






