Alysa Liu: Olympic Gold Medalist & PinkPantheress Fan Skates to Viral Hit

Alysa Liu, the 20-year-old American figure skater, captivated audiences at the Milano Ice Skating Arena Saturday night with her performance at the Olympic figure skating Exhibition Gala, skating to a Zara Larsson remix of PinkPantheress’s “Stateside.” The performance came just two days after Liu secured a gold medal in the women’s free skating event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, marking the first American victory in the event since 2002. She also earned a gold medal in the team event.

Liu’s selection of “Stateside” was foreshadowed earlier in the week when reporter Raymond Braun shared a video message from PinkPantheress with the skater. In the message, the artist expressed her admiration for Liu, stating, “Alysa, lots of love, thank you so much for supporting me. I hope that you have a really good demonstrate. You are so inspiring and when I was younger I was obsessed with figure skaters so you are literally living my dream. Thank you so much for the love.” Liu responded by declaring PinkPantheress her favorite artist and expressing her desire to skate to “Stateside” if given the opportunity at the Gala.

Beyond her athletic achievements, Liu has garnered attention for her distinctive style, including her “halo” hairstyle and a smiley-piercing. Her journey to Olympic gold has been particularly notable, as she initially retired from the sport at age 16 following her debut at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, citing burnout. She then made a remarkable return two years later, driven by a renewed passion for figure skating.

During the singles competition, Liu’s programs featured Laufey’s “Promise” for the short program and Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park Suite” for the free skate. Laufey previously recognized Liu’s fashion sense, naming her “best dressed” at a San Francisco concert last year.

Zara Larsson, the artist behind the remix of “Stateside,” shared her reaction to Liu’s performance, stating that it gave her “goosebumps.”