Alysa Liu isn't taking this experience lightly. After celebrating her Olympic triumphs with a Tonight Show appearance, leaving the 2026 Winter Games in Milan with two gold medals, she shared a concerning incident that occurred at an airport. "So I land at the airport and there's a crowd waiting at the exit with cameras and things for me to sign," Alysa shared in a March 4 Instagram Story. "It's all up in my personal space. Someone chased me to my car, bruh." She concluded her message with a plea, adding, "Please do not do that to me."
The 20-year-old's presence since returning from Milan has been anything but subtle. Indeed, Delta flight attendants applauded Alysa—who became the first U.S. women's skater to win a singles gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002—with an announcement on the loudspeaker when she arrived at San Francisco International Airport earlier this week. After walking through gold streamers that covered the gate exit, she was greeted with gifts from airport staff and applause from the crowd in the terminal.
The celebrations didn't stop there. In fact, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee revealed that the city itself would be celebrating Alysa, who trained for the Winter Games at the Oakland Ice Center. "The City of Oakland is planning a community-wide celebration to honor Olympic gold medalist and Oakland's hometown hero Alysa Liu," the city of Oakland's Instagram announced on Feb. 24. "Alysa represents the heart, grit, resilience, and joy of Oakland."
"Her achievement has filled our city with pride," the announcement continued, although details have not been confirmed. "We are coordinating with her team now to finalize a date so the community can celebrate her together."
But for Alysa, the spotlight has been an adjustment since returning to figure skating after her four-year hiatus. "I want my life to stay as similar as possible in every way, and no one has thought that it would," she told E! News in February. "But I'm really going to try to keep my peace because I like my life. I don't want it to be too chaotic. I want it to stay calm, peaceful, and chill."
As for what protecting her peace means? "Honestly, I would say privacy," she admitted. "Privacy for sure. Privacy is a big one."
