Alyssa Liu: America’s Figure Skating Hope in Milan-Cortina Olympics

Alyssa Liu, the talented American figure skater, represents the nation’s best chance for gold in the individual event at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

This year, Liu has captured fans’ hearts in the U.S., playing a crucial role in securing a team gold after a dramatic comeback. Notably, she recently re-entered the competitive scene following a brief retirement after her performance at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

However, Liu’s journey has had its share of unsettling moments beyond the excitement of competition. Just before the Beijing Games, she and her father found themselves at the center of a spying incident involving the Chinese government.

Her father, Arthur, a refugee who fled China years ago, has a past that catches up with him, particularly connected to his involvement in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. In 2022, both he and Alyssa were targeted by spies.

Liu described the experience as “a little strange and exciting.” She recalled her feeling of disbelief, saying, “You know what I mean? It’s so… unbelievable. You know, it’s crazy.” This was during a roundtable discussion at the USOPC Media Summit in October.

In an alarming twist to the story, Matthew Gibris, one of five individuals indicted recently for spying on Chinese dissidents in the U.S., allegedly approached Arthur in late 2021, posing as a USOPC employee and requesting personal information.

Gibris reportedly surveilled the Liu family in California, attempting to gather sensitive information to relay to the Chinese government. Arthur expressed concerns about the motives behind these actions, suggesting intimidation as a tactic to silence them regarding political issues or human rights abuses in China. He stated, “I was concerned about her safety. The U.S. government did a good job of protecting her.”

The FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice provided support to Liu throughout this troubling time. She had multiple discussions over dinner with an FBI agent assigned to her family, reflecting on the uniqueness of the experience, stating, “I had a lot of questions… it’s like, I don’t know, a crazy job meeting an FBI agent.”

Liu emphasized the sense of safety that the FBI provided during such a stressful period. Despite the threats, she was undeterred and competed at the Beijing Olympics, albeit with increased security measures including escorts throughout her stay.

Looking ahead, she mused that her remarkable story—filled with instances of espionage—might even warrant a movie one day. “They have to make me look like a super cool hero or something,” she articulated, noting that her father’s story also deserves attention, as it’s a significant part of her narrative.

With the short program set to take place soon, Liu is keen on clinching the individual gold medal for her country. She has successfully landed the challenging triple Lutz-triple loop combination, which is one of the toughest for female athletes. The competition will be fierce, particularly against her Japanese competitors, Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto.