How much interest can Alysa Liu revive in figure skating in the US?

[el henry]

Pretty much an honest question.

Alysa Liu Sparks a Figure Skating Resurgence in the U.S.

How Alysa Liu Ignited New Fan Frenzy in Figure Skating Alysa Liu didn’t just provide a spark at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games; she ignited a total

www.goldenskate.com

I have been watching figure skating for a while. I am pleasantly, and totally, shocked at the press and the attention that Alysa has been attracting. In all sorts of places that didn't give two hoots about figure skating before. To me, this is beyond the usual Olympic gold medal winner attention. Nathan Chen did not get this buzz, Charlie White and Meryl Davis did not get this buzz. I don't know if it's quite Dorothy Hamill and her haircut, but it feels very different to me.

Does anyone else feel that? Can the general public interest at this level be sustained?

(What this post is NOT : Alysa doesn't "deserve" the attention or the gold medal (who cares, not the point), Nathan, Meryl and Charlie, even Ilia, got this much attention. (no they didn't, that is fandom speaking. Again, not who "deserves" it, but who is getting it ) I am not an Alysa Liu uber-fan, but I can admit which skater is getting outsized press and attention outside of my fandom, and it is Alysa.

Can she bring more eyeballs in the US to figure skating? and butts in the seats? And all the other amazing US skaters benefit in her wake?

 

[Mathman]

My Chrystal ball is cloudy today. It has only been a week. Maybe next week we will be back to business as usual.

Alysa has all the ingredients, but can she shoulder the weight of the entire U.S. figure skating world all by herself?

 

[4everchan]

If she keeps going and enters the next games as a favourite, maybe it will indeed have an impact

 

[el henry]

I agree @Mathman that Alysa herself would reject this label (and that's why I don't think of it as a weight, I think she would just say, I'm not here to make a name for myself or save USFS or any of that. I'm here to skate.)

Which is the conundrum that leads to her appeal, I think. It's not just yippee, I won gold for the USA. What I see in comments from people who say, until two weeks ago I had no idea who this person was, is that she looks like she had fun skating her program, that she has an engaging non-Type A personality, but that yeah, she's a woman and she won gold, two things Americans love in skating.

A paradox.

 

[gmyers]

good attendance at stars on ice?

 

[moonvine]

Pretty much an honest question.

I have been watching figure skating for a while. I am pleasantly, and totally, shocked at the press and the attention that Alysa has been attracting. In all sorts of places that didn't give two hoots about figure skating before. To me, this is beyond the usual Olympic gold medal winner attention. Nathan Chen did not get this buzz, Charlie White and Meryl Davis did not get this buzz. I don't know if it's quite Dorothy Hamill and her haircut, but it feels very different to me.

Does anyone else feel that? Can the general public interest at this level be sustained?

(What this post is NOT : Alysa doesn't "deserve" the attention or the gold medal (who cares, not the point), Nathan, Meryl and Charlie, even Ilia, got this much attention. (no they didn't, that is fandom speaking. Again, not who "deserves" it, but who is getting it ) I am not an Alysa Liu uber-fan, but I can admit which skater is getting outsized press and attention outside of my fandom, and it is Alysa.

Can she bring more eyeballs in the US to figure skating? and butts in the seats? And all the other amazing US skaters benefit in her wake?

In my opinion no. The news cycle will keep churning and attention will shift. And after all the horrible things I’ve seen said I will take my niche sport back please and thank you.

 

[dorispulaski]

This bodes well!

Alysa Liu inspires mural that's 'a little rough around the edges, but beautiful at the same time'

Artist Gustavo Zermeño Jr. created a mural in Gardena honoring U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu, inspired not only by her Olympic gold medals but her personal journey of self-discovery.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[TontoK]

I agree @Mathman that Alysa herself would reject this label (and that's why I don't think of it as a weight, I think she would just say, I'm not here to make a name for myself or save USFS or any of that. I'm here to skate.)

Which is the conundrum that leads to her appeal, I think. It's not just yippee, I won gold for the USA. What I see in comments from people who say, until two weeks ago I had no idea who this person was, is that she looks like she had fun skating her program, that she has an engaging non-Type A personality, but that yeah, she's a woman and she won gold, two things Americans love in skating.

A paradox.

Well, if there's one thing we love in America, it's our ice princesses, especially when they win.

Oddly, Alysa is not the usual ice princess, and maybe that plays in her favor. While I don't want her to feel the burden... the weight of responsibility... I hope she does generate renewed interest in skating in America simply as a byproduct of continuing on her own path.

 

[skatingfan4ever]

She has revived interest in a way not seen recently, among the casuals. Whether that interest will last such that any of the casuals will decide to care about the actual sport of figure skating more than they did before remains to be seen. And whether it will result in future competitive figure skaters will likely be seen two or three cycles from now. I honestly had no idea Evan Lysacek had directly inspired the current generation of Olympians until they told us so in 2026.

 

[Mathman]

Oddly, Alysa is not the usual ice princess, and maybe that plays in her favor.

Could be, could be. That was then, this is now.

 

[gsk8]

She has definitely created interest in my neighborhood They are asking me things like, "Who's the two-toned hair girl"? I really like her!"

 

[TallyT]

She can't revive interest on her own (only Yuna Kim can be credited like that, even the biggest Russian and Japanese stars had others before and around them), and that would be an unreasonable thing to expect of anyone but there seems from what social media - admittedly a deceptive and transient thing - shows, a definite bump in interest in her. As people including me have said, she is perfect for the role, extremely pretty, bubbly, overtly carefree, not too princessy, that hair (perfect pr gimmick!), well-spoken, a wonderful backstory in her comeback... all totally mediagenic. Plus her skating is fun to watch even for those who know little about the technicalities. Plus it was rather a dull dud of an Olympics all over, so she was a rare bright spot (so was Mikhail for his country, of course!). I hope she does well out of her current moment of fame - if it doesn't last - and even more hope she can make it last and personally benefit from it in ways career, monetary and personal.

Whether it benefits US skating will depend on what she does next and how successful that is, whether the others around her can shine too, and who rises out of the junior ranks. Oh, and the fickle favour of the public.

 

[TallyT]

ps - I saw a picture, either of that mural from another angle or a different one and it was hideous, made her look rough as houses. But it was clearly from genuine affection...?

 

[Remilia]

Alysa alone can only do so much to increase the popularity of the sport most people will have moved on by next week. And most of the interest is on Alysa herself and her unique personality, not the actual sport.I guarantee you, 99% of the people who followed her on insta will not be tuning into comps or buying tickets. And on that note, it will be very hard for the sport to gain popularity in the USA until the music right issue is sorted. What's the point of Peacock streaming comps when they only stay up for a few days? Not to mention videos being posted on yt only to then be deleted after amassing millions of views

USFS also, just in general, needs to do a better job at promoting the sport and making sure casuals know when competitions will be airing on tv. Honestly, I think it would help a lot if there was a channel/streaming service dedicated to figure skating, like tennis channel, but I don't think there are enough competitions in a year for that.

All that said, regardless of whether Alysa revives the sport in the USA, she herself should be set for life with all the sponsorships and social media followers she'll have gained from this.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Unfortunately I don't think she can move the needle much. There are so many more entertainment options now than in the times of Nancy vs Tonya. Young people these days also seem to have shorter attention spans, given their affinity for short form video clips we see on Instagram and TikTok, and it's hard to image they'd sit through six or more four-minute long programs that aren't constructed in a way that is pleasing for casual fans. You also have some people, like Megyn Kelly, hailing Alysa's win as terrific because she's not skating for another country like Eileen Gu, and I don't think that kind of fandom is sustainable long term. Personally, I like that skating is a niche sport because people who do follow it tend to be passionate about figure skating.

 

[denise3lz]

The skating world needs American money. I hope she will restore American interest in the sport.

 

[TontoK]

Unfortunately I don't think she can move the needle much. There are so many more entertainment options now than in the times of Nancy vs Tonya. Young people these days also seem to have shorter attention spans, given their affinity for short form video clips we see on Instagram and TikTok, and it's hard to image they'd sit through six or more four-minute long programs that aren't constructed in a way that is pleasing for casual fans. You also have some people, like Megyn Kelly, hailing Alysa's win as terrific because she's not skating for another country like Eileen Gu, and I don't think that kind of fandom is sustainable long term. Personally, I like that skating is a niche sport because people who do follow it tend to be passionate about figure skating.

I think you're probably correct in many respects.

I saw some data on NHL television viewership. I'd have guessed interest in the sport would have gone way up, but viewership numbers seem to be static pre-Olympics to post-Olympics. Even my social media feed doesn't include much chatter, other than the occasional dig at Canada, and even that has faded. In America, we watched (or at least caught the best bits on socials), we celebrated, and we've moved on.

The objective seems to me not only to revive interest in general, but to do so in a way that sustains the sport monetarily. I hope Alysa cashes in fast and hard, but I also hope some of that slops over into the sport at large in America, but I'm not sure USFSA can capitalize. And, as you say, the timeframe to do so is short.

And I get what you're saying about liking the sport being a niche sport because the fanbase seems to be more knowledgeable and passionate. I align with you on this more than I should. I have so little empathy for the "casuals" who wonder why Sally didn't win when she clearly had the prettiest dress, or why Joe didn't get a medal because his music was fun.

The Minions story had a moment on my timeline, and then people wondered why they had gotten so invested in the story when he didn't advance. All that? For what? Now, of course WE understand why we needed to rally and support... but I certainly didn't have the patience to explain to the "casuals" why it was worth the bother.

My stances are contradictory. I want people to love the sport like I do, but I don't want to bother telling them why they should.

 

[Mathman]

I saw some data on NHL television viewership.

I think that there is a difference, though. Hockey is not an "Olympic sport." Hockey fans care about the Stanley cup (in so far as U.S. audiences care anything about hockey at all). Tennis players care about Wimbledon. Golfers care about the Masters.

Is breakdancing an Olympic sport or is it 1970s Bugaloo?

Figure skating used to be an "Olympic sport." Could it be again, or has the U.S. moved on from those heady days of Nancy and Tonya?

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

The objective seems to me not only to revive interest in general, but to do so in a way that sustains the sport monetarily. I hope Alysa cashes in fast and hard, but I also hope some of that slops over into the sport at large in America, but I'm not sure USFSA can capitalize. And, as you say, the timeframe to do so is short.

Another problem is that many champions disappear after winning Olympic gold. Kristi, Oksana, Tara, Sara, Shizuka, Adelina, and Anna abandoned the amateur ranks within a year or two after their Olympic titles. If watching one of those skaters win sparked your interest in the sport, you didn't get to cheer for them for very long. I think the sport might be unique in that regard. Even in gymnastics, you saw people like Simone Biles and Svetlana Khorkina compete in multiple Olympics after winning their first gold. So I can see why it's hard for fans of skaters, rather than skating, to stay interested when you're having to root for someone new every couple of years.

 

[rabidline]

Also to be fair, the USA men's hockey team did not have good PR after their Olympic gold with the whole Kash Patel party and laughing at Donald Trump's joke about the women's hockey team. So I won't be surprised that the NHL viewership didn't go up, the potential new demographic that got interested in them through their Olympic journey (likely to be mostly women) simply got turned off and went away.

I think Alysa, for now, has a midas touch. I'm on Twitter (I know, LOL) and one thing I noticed is that... okay so this generation is obsessed with tracking chart positions of songs. And one of the songs Alysa skated to was "Stateside" by Pink Pantheress ft. Zara Larrson, as her gala. A fine song doing quite well by itself on the charts through stan streaming, but it basically doubled and tripled its streams since the day Alysa skated it, and is jumping up the charts. Globally, in the US itself, and in other countries. Even the fans of the singers have to admit, the number of general public exposed to this song through Alysa is more significant than they thought. This is interesting, because I don't think we have this kind of effect since the days of Michelle Kwan where new Eva Cassidy albums have to be released for people to buy after she skated to Fields of Gold.

Now if Alysa deigns to share that midas touch to figure skating, it would be interesting. The scrutiny and misinformation about her is intense, but the thing about Alysa is she came back and won things too soon for anyone in the fandom to establish themselves as her intense critics or her staunch defenders, so she, in a way, immediately got catapulted to the larger pop culture through her own personality, and not through the lens of an intense but niche fandom of an individual. She hasn't been... filtered, in a way, and simply does not have a fandom dedicated enough to correct and dictate everyone else on how to perceive her.

I think if Alysa continues competing on her own terms and having fun with skating itself, that attention on her can translate to attention on skating. Because she shows that skating is fun, entertaining, and joyful. If someone as cool as her can put a seed of thought in people's heads, that when they feel down they can just turn on skating to get their daily dose of serotonin, it may lead to something. (Even though with skating it truly either makes you deliriously happy or just exhausted from the menning lol).