We are lucky to have her.
Following American figure skater Alysa Liu’s gold medal win at the Olympics, many have called her patriotic story of enduring Chinese communist intimidation to represent Team USA and trounce the competition nothing short of inspiring. Democrats on X, however, are telling Republicans that it’s not their victory lap to take, as Liu is likely a typical woke Gen Z girl.
In response to a video of Liu putting her hand over her heart for the national anthem that included the caption, “In a world full of Colin Kaepernicks, be an Alysa Liu,” a progressive user replied: “Do you people not know she’s woke.”
After House Republicans congratulated Liu on X, the Democrats’ account responded with a screenshot that said: “GET A JOB. STAY AWAY FROM HER.”
It is a sign of our tribalistic time that the parties are trying to be territorial with Liu, a person with diverse attributes that appeal to both liberals and conservatives. On the one hand, Liu’s father escaped persecution in China after participating in the Tiananmen Square protest. He embraced the American system of meritocracy and achievement, which he clearly instilled in his daughter. But progressives are citing his refugee status to argue that immigration always benefits the receiving nation, once again conflating legal pathways, which can apply to genuine political dissidents like Liu’s father, and illegal border crossings.
Liu draped herself in the American flag after winning. But then again, she dyed her hair in an edgy fashion and has a lip piercing — the liberal trope that conservatives often ridicule. Liu doubled down on promoting America after facing CCP pressure, unlike freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who defected to China despite attending elite schools in America. But then again, Liu and her four other siblings were born via the ethically questionable practice of surrogacy — essentially renting a womb. Using science to breed prodigies might be commonplace in other countries, but it is fundamentally not conservative.
We could play this game all day.
The most admirable part about Alysa Liu’s politics is that she did not share them on the Olympic stage. Regardless of her personal beliefs, she respected the platform she was privileged enough to receive from the country that gave her the freedom and opportunities to master her craft.
For her performance, she brought disco to the ice by dancing to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park,” executing every complicated twist and turn with precision and joy that made you feel like you were watching a retro roller rink routine. This was especially remarkable considering that Liu retired from the sport at age 16, burnt out by years of brutal training that emphasized analytics over art, only to bounce back at 18 with an entirely new philosophy of skating. She felt she had nothing to lose and everything to gain because she was doing what she loved.
Her comeback reminded me of The Boys in the Boat, the moving true story of the 1936 University of Washington men’s rowing team that, despite being underdogs, defeated the German team in front of Adolf Hitler at the Olympics because of their synchronous harmony, grit, and resilience forged during the Great Depression. They embodied the American spirit of both self-determination and creativity; so does Liu. American athleticism has heart and soul, and excellence is the byproduct.
The politically obsessed on both sides are obviously a bit frustrated by Liu’s happy-go-lucky attitude towards the press and the controversies that have been spinning around the Olympics this winter. She’s difficult to place politically because her main message is that she’s grateful for the experience and is just simply having a good time. She’s a national treasure, and we are lucky to have her.