Alysa Liu Made Us Fall in Love With Figure Skating Again
The Olympian changed the game in both sport and beauty this year.
Alysa Liu just made history at the Winter Olympics, becoming the first American to win gold in the women’s singles figure skating event since 2002 — and she did it in style. Dressed in gold with her signature grin and frenulum piercing in full view, Liu’s fairytale competition meant more than just another medal for Team USA. Her story goes much deeper than the ice, and that story is what made the world fall in love with a 20-year-old figure skater from Oakland.
Liu is one of the greatest skaters of her generation, becoming the youngest-ever U.S. women’s national champion at just 13. Breaking records and making history comes naturally to her, but at 16 she announced her retirement, stating that figure skating had been her entire life and she wanted to discover herself away from the sport. Two years later, she was back on the ice, but this time it was on her own terms.
Figure skaters tend to have a similar, ultra-feminine and soft look, so when Liu returned with her tree ring halo hair and piercings, it seemed to mark a major shift in the sport. One of the best skaters in the world was an alt girl from the Bay Area — something that had never been seen before at such a high level. Her gold medal-winning free skate reflected that change. Dancing on ice to music she chose — Laufey, of course — and giving the audience goosebumps with every spin and axel, her joy on the biggest stage was infectious.
Fans have been lighting up the internet since she jumped for joy on the podium, saying she was proof positive you can eat what you want, dress how you like and be wholly yourself without compromising your ability to perform. Liu is changing the landscape for the generations that come after her, and when halo hair and smiley piercings go global this year, remember who made it the golden standard.
In other news, Stella Jean is selling Team Haiti’s viral Winter Olympics kit.
