MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 19: Gold medalist Alysa Liu of Team United States celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Women's Single Skating - Free Skating on day thirteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy.
Tang Xinyu/VCG via Getty Images

Alysa Liu is everywhere these days, and with good reason. The 20-year-old won gold in both the women’s free skating event and the team event with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. And she did it by being herself, complete with her unique hair, daring piercings, and trending alternative songs on her playlist. Not just that, she did it after deciding to come back to the sport she’d stepped away from on her terms.

However, there was a little hiccup to her 2 gold medal wins, though not one that really affected her win or her mood in any way. After Team USA won gold, there was a moment where Liu jumped up in celebration, and her medal detached from its ribbon, falling to the floor and getting dented and scratched. One would think Olympic gold medals would hold up better. Apparently, one would be wrong.

Liu later shared a video on Instagram where she showed the damaged medal. Which, of course, is not exactly a great look for the Olympics. And reportedly, it all triggered an immediate investigation due to the fact that some medals were coming apart. Hey, the good news is they did something about it.

The Olympic organizers announced a fix within days, and reportedly asked athletes with medals that had manufacturing defects or accidental damage to turn them in for repair or replacement. “Milano Cortina 2026 confirms its commitment to ensuring that the medals, which symbolise the highest achievement in every athlete’s career, meet the highest standards of quality and attention to detail,” said Milan Cortina 2026 Communications Director Luca Casassa.

In a recent interview, Liu was asked about her medal. “Oh yeah, yeah, it broke off the ribbon,” she said. “They replaced it because apparently you have to wear it for media day.”

“It’s not the [original]. … This is a whole new one. They were like, ‘Give me your other medal.’”

Liu has also been in the spotlight for things other than her return to the ice after two years off and her relationship with her father, who has spoken openly about how much money he invested in his daughter’s career. In an interview with 60 Minutes, Arthur Liu said that he has spent between $500,000 to $1 million on his daughter’s skating career. “I spared no money, no time. I just saw talent.”

She has also spoken about politics. “I definitely do care what our country is doing,” she said in an interview with KARE 11. “I think it is really important also to notice the faults in our own government. Things are a little rough. There’s so many protests that are going on and I’ve attended. Coming from a family of immigrants, I think immigrants deserve rights.”

“I mean, coming from a family of immigrants, like, I think immigrants deserve rights. I think it’s a little silly, especially in America.”