The Alysa Liu Impact Is Not What It Seems

Flashback to 19th February 2026, 11:56 UTC. Alysa Liu wins gold in the women’s singles figure skating for the United States, breaking a 24 year ‘drought’. Within hours headlines multiply, and Liu’s Instagram following surges by a whopping 1,856%; Liu had become America’s “golden girl”. 

So, who is this halo-haired 20-year-old that so quickly captured the world’s heart, and why exactly is her story so resonant now? 

Media outlets present a simple narrative: a 16-year-old figure skating prodigy retires due to burnout only to rediscover her love for skating ‘on her own terms’, allowing her to return to win Olympic Gold in 2026. 

The message is clear: champion yourself, let intrinsic motivation lead you, and results will inevitably follow. Her story is one framed as a glorious recovery from burnout, inspiring generations across the world. 

Yet, beneath this narrative lies a deeper paradox: Would public reception be the same if she had won silver? Bronze? Or not medalled at all? Was it merely her ‘exuberant and electrifying’ joy while skating that moved the world to its current state of wide-eyed admiration? Of course not. 

Liu celebrating Olympic victory | Photo by Elsa via Getty Images

On the technical side, it is a well-documented fact that Gold Medallists receive far greater compensation than any other competitor. In the U.S., gold earns $37,000 versus $22,500 for silver; in countries like Singapore, $750,000 versus $369,000; Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of endorsement money as well. 

For Liu, a meeting with Daniel Radcliffe, an invitation to Paris Fashion Week and a Louis Vuitton sponsorship later, the figure skater had seemingly been instantaneously upgraded to Hollywood A-Lister status. Traversing around America with the chime of her two scratched gold medals around her neck, the 20 year old symbolised America’s new paradigm of success, or rather, the definition the nation attempts to align themselves with. 

As Liu’s coach Philip DiGuglielmo emphasized: “This didn’t happen just because she won the Olympics…It was how she won — showing the world she loves to do what she does.” And it was true. However, whilst Liu’s impact certainly extends beyond Olympic Gold, it seems the entirety of her story is not being fully understood by audiences. 

Quoting a Vanity Fair article: “Her comeback... [forces] the skating world to reorient itself around her story: one in which life experience and an assured sense of self proved more valuable on the ice than a triple axel.”  In spite of the acknowledgement of Liu’s non-conformity, the focus of the praise is still centered on how her experiences ultimately culminated in a stronger professional asset ‘on the ice’. The overt comparison of Liu’s life experiences during her break to a ‘triple axel’ - one of the most difficult, yet highest scoring jumps in figure skating - reveals the underlying, ulterior focus on, once again, her career. 

‘Hustle culture’, encapsulates an excessive emphasis on productivity, often at the expense of health and personal life in order to reach certain professional goal, and defined the global work culture of the 21st century. 

Exacerbated by the economic tumult of the 21st century, the working class experienced unprecedented uncertainty within the increasingly precarious job market; The unreliability of the economy caused many of the working generation to gravitate towards ‘hustle culture’, turning passions into income generating side hustles and creating an infinite loop of purported productivity.  

Thus, it should come as no surprise that this overworked generation, when presented with Alysa Liu’s devaluation and even detached nonchalance towards her success, may wholly misinterpret the broader message and learnings from her story. 

The truth is: Alysa Liu’s story is not just one of success. Not of triumph. Not of a comeback despite all odds; but rather a celebration of the separation of achievement from the self. 

Encapsulating Liu’s philosophy in one sentence: “Results—they don’t do much. They don’t prove anything. The points you get, it’s all very superficial.” And she means that sincerely. 

But if medals don't matter, what does? Alysa has an answer to that: ‘The journey’, ‘human connection’, ‘sisterhood’. 

However, Liu’s ‘passion’ and ‘joy’ for the sport is, in part, only hypocritically celebrated by the public because it is validated by gold. Without this external, objective marker of success, the same aspects of her performance, the same character traits that comprise the now viral ‘Alysa Liu Mindset’ would be wholly ignored. 

Herein lies the fatal flaw of mainstream media: the selectively gleaning and outright ignorance of parts of Alysa’s story fully dampens and even glorifies the very beliefs that Liu is trying to invalidate. 

Alysa’s story shows the value in prioritising and reconciling with the internal self. Not for results, not for success, but for enjoying the journey of life. Finding your passion, your people, your purpose. And putting up a hell of a fight along the way. 

In a time with a significantly improved standard of living, let Alysa’s story guide us away from the outdated, dehumanising ‘hustle’ mantra of the late 20th century. Instead, let her inspire us to be unafraid to embrace our essential humanity, and create a life saturated with the complex, yet beautiful tapestry of the human experience.