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Alysa Liu’s ‘Bored’ Moment at Olympics Closing Ceremony Causes Stir

The figure skater won two golds at the Milano Cortina Games, but appeared ready for it to be over.
Matt Ryan|
Feb 19, 2026; Milan, Italy; Alysa Liu of the United States is introduced before competing in the women's free skate during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena.
Feb 19, 2026; Milan, Italy; Alysa Liu of the United States is introduced before competing in the women's free skate during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. | James Lang-Imagn Images

Alysa Liu was the darling of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy for the United States with two gold medals, including becoming the first women’s figure skater to win it since Sarah Hughes in 2002. It’s been a whirlwind few days for the 20-year-old from Oakland, California, and she definitely appears ready to get home and rest up.

Coming into the Games, Liu was the youngest national champion ever at age 13 in 2019, but retired shortly after competing in the 2022 Beijing Olympics at 16. She returned to competitive figure skating in March of 2024.

RELATED: Alysa Liu’s Father Arthur Once Revealed Reason Behind Egg Donor Decision

Alysa Li
Feb 19, 2026; Milan, Italy; Alysa Liu of the United States celebrates with the gold medal and the flag after the medal ceremony for the women's free skate during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

While she won a gold in the combined team event, it ws the skate of her life in the free skate that captivated the audience in that bold gold dress.

RELATED: Alysa Liu Dazzles in Princess-like Dress in Final 2026 Olympics Skate After Gold

Liu’s family would celebrate her win with dad going crazy in the stands.

She’d then have tons of interviews to do as the champ and looked to be on little sleep the next day for her appearance on The Today Show.

She then was with her teammates Ilia Malinin, Amber Gleen, Ellie Kam, and Madison Chock at the Closing Ceremony in this epic photo.

Liu’s viral moment at Closing Ceremony

When the it was going on, though, cameras caught Liu looking “bored” while yawning in the crowd.

If anyone deserves to be tired, it’s Liu.

Hopefully the UCLA psychology student will have time to rest up when heading back to Cali.

Liu’s crazy social media following gain

Winning made Liu insanely popular at these Games, as she’s now gained over 4 million followers on Instagram, starting at 200k and now at 4.4 million as of this writing.

She truly is the golden girl of the Games.

Alysa Li
Feb 19, 2026; Milan, Italy; Alysa Liu of the United States celebrates with the gold medal in the women's free skate during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. | James Lang-Imagn Images

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Matt Ryan
MATT RYAN

Matt Ryan is a dedicated sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in digital and linear media. After receiving a Masters in Journalism from USC, he’s worked for Fox Sports, NBC Sports, Yahoo Sports, USA Today Sports Media Group, and Bally Sports, while holding various leadership roles along the way.

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