Historic Win for Alisa Liu at Winter Olympics

American-born skier Eileen Gu recently shared her thoughts on Alisa Liu’s remarkable gold medal achievement in the women’s free skate final at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Liu celebrated becoming the first American female figure skater to earn an Olympic individual medal in two decades, as well as the first gold in 24 years.

In an Instagram post, Liu expressed her excitement, captioning a photo of herself with the gold medal and the U.S. team gold with, “These are for you.” Gu joined in on the joy by commenting, “YESSSSSSS,” under Liu’s post.

The two athletes, both of Chinese-American heritage, have faced comparisons throughout the Olympics. Liu’s narrative stands out for its loyalty to the U.S., contrasting with Gu’s decision to represent China at the age of 15, despite her upbringing in California.

Raised in Oakland by Arthur Liu, Alisa’s path diverged from Gu’s, whose father, Yang Gu, raised her in San Francisco. By 2019, they had both become key figures after the Chinese government’s initiative to recruit foreign-born talent, especially ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

After initially competing for the U.S. at the Freestyle Ski World Cup in January 2019, Gu switched her national registration to represent China later that year. Meanwhile, Liu remained with Team USA, with her father reportedly not convinced to let her join the Chinese team.

At the Winter Olympics, Gu took home two golds and a silver in freeskiing, gaining significant recognition, while Liu, finishing sixth in figure skating singles, made a comeback in 2024. Notably, she helped secure the team gold for the U.S. and recently clinched her individual gold medal.

While Liu celebrated her success with enthusiastic reactions, Gu has faced challenges, only winning two silvers so far in Italy. During an interview, Gu addressed a question about the perception of her medal wins, emphasizing, “I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history, so I think that’s an answer in itself.” She mentioned that every medal has its own significance and difficulty, countering the notion that silver medals are failures.

Looking ahead, Gu is set to compete in the women’s halfpipe final, which had been delayed due to snowfall. Despite past difficulties—including a fall during qualifying—she remains hopeful.

With pressures from global scrutiny, Gu addressed feelings of being perceived as a representative of broader political contexts, saying many athletes compete for various nations without similar judgments. Her perspective on the matter reflects both confidence and an understanding of public opinion, with the acknowledgment that reactions can differ based on performance.