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By Tyler Erzberger
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Alysa Liu trained for two years straight for the Winter Olympic Games, and somehow she's busier now that she won two figure skating gold medals at the event a few weeks ago in Milan, Italy.
On Thursday, she was given the key to her hometown of Oakland in a city-wide celebration for the 20-year-old. Mascots from all the Northern California teams mobbed her at the event, as kids and adults alike danced along in a party honoring her accomplishments on the global stage.
The first American woman in 24 years to win the women's individual figure skating gold medal at the Olympics, Liu has seen her popularity burst from niche fan favorite to pop culture icon in a month.
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In early February, she had a strong base of figure skating fans, with over 200,000 following her on Instagram, excited for the Olympics.
Now?
Liu has nearly eight million followers on the social media platform, more than any other Winter Olympian ever to join the site.
She is doing morning shows, podcasts, magazine covers, and late-night talk broadcasts. One day, she's in Oakland having fun with kids, and the next, she's at Paris Fashion Week hanging out with famous actresses and actors.
The Figure Skating World Championships are in two weeks, but Liu will not be competing to defend her 2025 women's crown, deciding to sit out the contest.
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On Thursday, she spoke more openly about her decision to step aside for the time being.
"There are so many commitments I have and activities that are overlapping with Worlds," Liu admitted, saying she wanted to compete before new obligations came her way. "And I don't have much time for training. … I didn't think I would be able to put out my best performance."
Liu, who has been upfront about caring more about the artistry of the sport than simple trophies or records, went on to say that she had already showcased both her short program and free skate at the highest level possible during the Olympics.
When asked how she's been handling all the newfound fame, Liu said it's been challenging, but she's been able to handle the overwhelming attention by keeping her social feeds free of anything related to her.
Although Liu will miss this World Championships, she is already confirmed to compete next season and is excited about the opportunity to possibly defend her gold medals in the French Alps four years from now at the 2030 Olympic Games.
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