Olympic Gold Medalist Alysa Liu Says a Stranger Chased Her to Her Car at the Airport
Two weeks after winning two gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, 20-year-old figure skater Alysa Liu posted on Instagram asking fans to respect her personal space after being swarmed at an airport.
Liu won the women’s singles figure skating competition in Milan, becoming the first American to claim individual gold in the event since 2002. She also earned a second gold medal as part of the United States team figure skating competition earlier in the Games. Her free skate program, set to “MacArthur Park” by Donna Summer, aired during the women’s final on Feb. 19.
Then she came home, and things changed fast.
Liu posted about the encounter on her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, March 4, describing what happened after she landed back in the United States.
“So I land at the airport, & there’s a crowd waiting at the exit with cameras & things for me to sign,” she wrote. “All up in my personal space. Someone chased me to my car bruh. Please do not do that to me.”
The message was direct and unfiltered, posted in the same casual voice Liu has used across her social media throughout the Olympics. No publicist statement. No carefully worded PR release. Just a young athlete telling people to back off.
Liu skated her gold medal program on Feb. 19 in Milan. By early March, she was navigating a packed media schedule in New York City.
Since returning from Italy, Liu has appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and Today, where she met Daniel Radcliffe. She visited Simu Liu and the cast of Oh, Mary! at the Lyceum Theatre. She appeared on the cover of Teen Vogue.
In an NBC interview following her Olympic victory, Liu joked about how she might deal with her sudden fame. When asked how she would handle “superstardom,” she said, “I have no idea how I’m gonna deal with it. Probably wigs. I’m gonna wear some wigs when I go outside,” before grinning and adding, “Nah, I’m playing.”
The joke reads differently now. What sounded like lighthearted deflection in the glow of a gold medal win looks more like a genuine question she is actively trying to answer: How does a 20-year-old navigate public spaces when strangers feel entitled to her time and proximity?
At 20 years old, with two Olympic gold medals and a stranger chasing her through an airport, she is already navigating questions most people never have to face. Her request was four words: “Please do not do that.”
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
