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

[BlissfulSynergy]

Again, to address the thread's original question, right now, we do not know what impact Alysa's Olympic gold medal success story will have on the sport in the U.S., or globally. There may already be different things that have been going on under-the-radar in a push for beneficial change. Of course, the sport does not have adequate leadership, thus change has usually been glacial, inept, and done in fits and starts that require constant adjustment. The most serious problems are never adequately addressed until something is forced to happen as a direct result of a scandal.

For these and other reasons that have already been mentioned in this thread, I do not see Alysa's success directly creating sustained and popular interest in figure skating. Part of the issue is that fs is both sport and art, yet no one has been able to promote this complicated synergy effectively in a way that sustains interest from mainstream audiences. Alysa's gold medal will likely end up extending her profile and success beyond the sport, depending on what her goals are, which she may not be certain of right now. She has already achieved a lot, so I am not sure why she would come back to compete, unless she truly desires to stay in the mix. The demands of the sport and the way it's structured are not compatible for a popular, in-demand skater to take full advantage of certain opportunities, in the same way that pro tennis, baseball, basketball, and football players can. Alysa will surely appear in skating shows in the off-season. And hopefully, she will find an agent as good as Shep Goldberg was for Michelle Kwan.

The question is what are Alysa's goals at this point? The world can be her oyster no matter what she decides. But like many successful star skaters before her, the sport's increase in popularity is not tied to her individual arc. The sport's complex trajectory is separate from the successes and shining popularity of its greatest athletes.

 

[Mathman]

No offense but I don't, not for a minute.

I do. And I don't.

I believe that she is telling the truth when she says she felt exhilarated about having skated great and that the audience appreciated it. I do not believe that this is the whole story. I do not believe that anyone's "whole story" can be told in "25 words or less" and put on a bumper sticker, end of story. These are real people we are talking about, not cardboard cutouts or paper dolls.

 

[decafjava]

Good grief this was a long thread. TLDR; "wait and see". Kidding I know my niece was excited for Olympic skating because of the hype around the "blade angels" but genuinely liked the sport already.

 

[Mathman]

Well said. Kaori also shows how silly it is to compare skaters largely on Olympic results. She was a single toe loop away from leapfrogging Yamaguchi, Lipinski, Arakawa, and Kwan in career accomplishments if weighing Olympic gold most heavily (like many do). A single toe loop.

All sports are like that. A swimmer loses the race by a thousandth of a second. That's sport. That's life.

 

[Mathman]

My "she's not" referred to Alysa being the first one who was believed
People who are popular are mostly believed, especially when they say things that people like to hear...

Still... I think that in general people are cynical about an athlete who says, I don't care if I win or lose. Isn't that what athletic competition is all about?

 

[Anna K.]

There are people who see Alysa's words from a cynical perspective, or even worse, think she's lazy and unserious about skating and therefore disrespectful to her competitors. But I think we can say that right now, they're staying in niche circles (such as, hm, figure skating fans).

Did you mean, in niche circles like our forum?

Biased fans for whom their own sour grapes make the most important dish in the party are nothing unusual in sports forums. I remember the days when Manchester United dominated the English soccer scene and had a massive following globally. In England though, they were the most hated football club of all time. There are 20 clubs in the English Premier League and they all have inherited followings like Republicans and Democrats in the US. And then, there was MU that denied their clubs of even the slightest hope of winning the title for 15 years in a row. The scale of hatred was Biblical.
And absolutely normal at the same time given the ecosystem of British soccer.

As for figure skating though, there is a nuance before you say "it's normal". It has not always been the normal in figure skating. Not that long ago (merely about 30 years back lol) it was normal to consider yourself "a fan of art" rather than a fan of a specific skater or country and come to the event to cheer the entire field for mastering this art. It was simple and available for everyone. When you support a sport, you need to know how it's scored. When you support the art, you just like it. Although the sports aspect was likable as well. When the Battle of Brians and Battle of Carmens took place, good sportsmanship was displayed and the majority of the public actually liked both rivals. The drama was not "oh my, the evil unworthy one now threatens to win over my beloved good one, I should go online and troll relentlessly to prevent that". The drama was "oh my, they are both so cute, so good friends, and so great athletes, how can I survive the fact that only one of them can win?"
Then the Harding/Kerigan case occurred; more scandals followed; and every influx of new fans in 21st century has been narrowly and, in most cases, aggressively focused on medal hopes for specific skaters/countries with lots of fan wars and rising toxicity levels. Here in our G&Sk forum, we have representatives from all eras which imo makes it a very interesting online place to be.

But now, my post shall go straight back to the topic: @el henry you described the demographics of figure skating fans in the U.S. as "the God's waiting room" and the main sponsor agrees with you. But where are the Millennials? They grew up with figure skating on TV in the eighties and nineties. Many if not most of them surely have fond childhood memories about it. Where have they gone? Why have they gone?

The Millennials are the exact generation for whom the attitude matters. I don't believe that their withdrawal en masse from supporting figure skating had nothing to do with the factioning and growing toxicity levels within the general fandom of this sport. And, if so, then Alysa's message of healthy lifestyle, good sportsmanship, and fun on and off the ice should provide an excellent ground for Millennials to return - at least briefly - to the comfort zone of the sport of their childhood.
Just saying, if you go to the SOI and the place is filled with Millennials more than any other demographics... Maybe that's exactly what should have been expected.

 

[TontoK]

Of course, we can never truly know what's in another's heart, and particularly not someone that none of us have even met - which I assume this is true for nearly all of us, other than a quick fan meet and greet or something like that.

So how do we know Alysa is authentic about skating for herself, and not caving to the pressures anyone else might try to place on her? That her primary goal is not medals?

First, I think it's the attitude in her skating. We've all seen skaters that we thought were inauthentic in the way they skate. Like her or not, I believe most people would concede that she does appear to perform with freedom and ease. Very comfortable with herself, and she connects with her music and her audience.

Second, the testimony of her coaches and others who say that she is in charge of her career. She chooses the music, actively collaborates in the construction of the program, decides when to ramp up her training and when to take a break. If this is not the case, then a whole lot of reputable people are lying.

Third, she doesn't act as though winning is her primary concern. She didn't break down when she didn't win Nationals. It seemed to me that she really didn't care. That seems pretty hard to fake. I mean how many ice princesses skate to the boards after their Olympic free skate with that kind of joy and casually drop the f-bomb to a worldwide audience on live television?

Mild counterpoint to all this: Does she like to win? Sure, don't we all? It's not like her programs are filled with pretty double jumps. She's presenting competitive content. But I don't think this is incongruent with anything else I've written.

 

[TontoK]

It has not always been the normal in figure skating. Not that long ago (merely about 30 years back lol) it was normal to consider yourself "a fan of art" rather than a fan of a specific skater or country and come to the event to cheer the entire field for mastering this art.

There are many, many fans still in this category today, and I think we're perfectly normal. We think those who obsess over any one particular skater (or federation) and dismiss others as unworthy are the weird ones.

I demand to be entertained. I want to watch a skater perform and be awestruck and inspired and emotionally engaged in some way. I want to watch and wish I could do that. And I don't particularly care who gives that feeling to me or where they come from. And if there's more than one man, more than one woman, more than one pair - that's all the better. Do I admire some skaters for what they've given me in the past? Sure, but my fanhood must be earned continually. I'm fickle. Fail to entertain me, and I'll find someone else who will. My relationship with any particular skater goes one way. They owe me, not the other way around.

 

[Mathman]

I don't think this is incongruent with anything else I've written.

I think this is the whole thing in a nutshell. Many facets existing together. And for that matter, nothing really to argue about, either.

 

[macy]

Of course, we can never truly know what's in another's heart, and particularly not someone that none of us have even met - which I assume this is true for nearly all of us, other than a quick fan meet and greet or something like that.

So how do we know Alysa is authentic about skating for herself, and not caving to the pressures anyone else might try to place on her? That her primary goal is not medals?

First, I think it's the attitude in her skating. We've all seen skaters that we thought were inauthentic in the way they skate. Like her or not, I believe most people would concede that she does appear to perform with freedom and ease. Very comfortable with herself, and she connects with her music and her audience.

Second, the testimony of her coaches and others who say that she is in charge of her career. She chooses the music, actively collaborates in the construction of the program, decides when to ramp up her training and when to take a break. If this is not the case, then a whole lot of reputable people are lying.

Third, she doesn't act as though winning is her primary concern. She didn't break down when she didn't win Nationals. It seemed to me that she really didn't care. That seems pretty hard to fake. I mean how many ice princesses skate to the boards after their Olympic free skate with that kind of joy and casually drop the f-bomb to a worldwide audience on live television?

Mild counterpoint to all this: Does she like to win? Sure, don't we all? It's not like her programs are filled with pretty double jumps. She's presenting competitive content. But I don't think this is incongruent with anything else I've written.

all of this. and i'd also like to add how she was waving to people in the audience on the 6 minute warmup before her olympic free skate. biggest moment of her career, in a position to win an olympic medal or become champion, and she's WAVING to people in the audience. she's that relaxed and at ease. that's not someone whose entire life or career is culminating to that single moment, like it is for so many.

i absolutely believe she's not in it for the medals, simply because her actions are following her words.

 

[el henry]

Cynical old Auntie El who has been around the block and who has seen many things in her many years, has watched the Alysa interviews.
I believe the discussion about medals and performance to be her honest and heartfelt opinions.

What those opinions are NOT, even in my vast and skeptical experience:

1. PR.

2. Manufactured.

3. Just more skater blather

And someone will need to show me, based the actual interview and not based on being cynical old Auntie El who's been around the block, why they are not her heartfelt opinions.

Which is not really good for USFS because she has no intention of faking it just to be popular.

 

[4everchan]

Cynical old Auntie El who has been around the block and who has seen many things in her many years, has watched the Alysa interviews.
I believe the discussion about medals and performance to be her honest and heartfelt opinions.

What those opinions are NOT, even in my vast and skeptical experience:

1. PR.

2. Manufactured.

3. Just more skater blather

And someone will need to show me, based the actual interview and not based on being cynical old Auntie El who's been around the block, why they are not her heartfelt opinions.

Which is not really good for USFS because she has no intention of faking it just to be popular.

I am not surprised about her stance on competing without caring about the results. It's probably the mindset she went for when she decided to return. It was probably something discussed and non-negotiable... "I want to return but on my own terms : I don't want this to be about results of medals but just because I love skating "

So, now that she's won, she's sharing the mindset. If she can keep it like this, awesome. It may evolve though.

So I agree with you, it's not PR, Manufactured (which would be PR too) or just skater blather... I think it's the whole point of her return to the sport... doing it for fun.

Now, how much fun is an Olympic gold medal, well two even ? How much fun is doing tv shows and fashion shows ? Probably a lot of fun until it's no longer fun.

We will see if she is able to regroup, go back to the rink and do the groundwork necessary for her to be pleased with her own skating, which is where the joy comes from. I hope so. I think it's quite likely possible. It's not easy though. Or it is easy, if the mindset is so anchored that nothing can disturb it.

 

[dorispulaski]

Check out this post:

A

Post in thread 'Stars On Ice U.S. Tour 2026 / April-May'

Mar 8, 2026

I got an opportunity to speak with Alissa Czisny this past Friday after the Ice Dance International show. If you can attend, go see it.

I asked her if she and KB are working with SOI again, and she confirmed that they will be choreographing the group numbers and they will start rehearsing once she is done with IDI. She told me the show is selling like hotcakes, over 400K tickets so far across the US. They are shocked as they usually perform to half full arenas. I told her I got my tickets before the Olympics and she said that was a smart move. She's so down to earth and sweet...

• apgold

• 

I don't put a lot of stock on social media levels of support, but people paying for SOI who didn't before is a metric I can respect.

Alissa Czisny says in the above linked post:

She told me the show is selling like hotcakes, over 400K tickets so far across the US. They are shocked as they usually perform to half full arenas. I told her I got my tickets before the Olympics and she said that was a smart move. She's so down to earth and sweet. I'm glad I got the chance to speak with her!

 

[Magill]

I agree SOI sales are an indicator of interest but whether it is an interest in skating in general, or in Alysa herself, is hard to tell - and I understand this was the OP question. It is even more difficult to guess how sustainable this interest is. It is only natural that after all the buzz many people want to see their OGM on ice with their own eyes, it would be strange if they didn't.
We'll see next year how it holds and if these people want to come back when the OGM celebrations die down a bit.
Still the same answer - we'll see, time will tell.

 

[Mathman]

I am not surprised...

*whole post* Thoughtful and balanced. Thank you.

 

[kiimnu]

Maybe she made a comeback purely for the love of performing in front of the audience. At least eight million or so people seem to agree with some of the above posters. Maybe she saw a realistic chance of medalling at or even winning the Olympics, so she made strategic plans (not cold-blooded calculations). Or, it could be both.

Personally, I find it too much of a coincidence that both Alysa and the Shibutani siblings somehow fell in love with skating again in 2024, right when the 2026 Olympics were around the corner, but that’s just me.

Source:
https://time.com/7341942/alex-maia-shibutani-olympics-2026-comeback-interview/
https://time.com/7362679/alysa-liu-skating-olympics-2026-interview/

 

[Arigato]

Facebook launched to the public in 2006.
Twitter launched to the public in 2006.
Instagram launched to the public in 2010.

Those launch dates are for comments earlier in the thread who didn't seem to realize how long they have been around.

The 10 Fastest-Growing U.S. Instagram Accounts of February 2026​

#1 Alysa Liu
#5 Ilia Malinin
#8 Lindsey Vonn

The percentage of people who have amassed over 7 million Instagram followers in a single 30-day period is
less than 0.00001% of the platform's total user base. This level of growth is mathematically and statistically an extreme outlier, restricted almost exclusively to global icons, major political figures, or viral "mega-stars" during peak news cycles.

1. Identify the Rare Tier of Growth

Gaining 7 million followers in 30 days is a feat that very few accounts have ever achieved. Even among the fastest-growing accounts in a typical year, only a handful reach this monthly threshold. For example, in 2025, only 8 US-based accounts gained more than 7 million followers over the entire year. To do so in just 30 days requires a level of global exposure found only in events like a World Cup win, a massive political surge, or a world record-breaking debut.

Alysa Liu is now at 7.8 million followers on Instagram.

 

[Mathman]

^ Thanks for compiling that information. Very interesting.

 

[moonvine]

I agree SOI sales are an indicator of interest but whether it is an interest in skating in general, or in Alysa herself, is hard to tell - and I understand this was the OP question. It is even more difficult to guess how sustainable this interest is. It is only natural that after all the buzz many people want to see their OGM on ice with their own eyes, it would be strange if they didn't.
We'll see next year how it holds and if these people want to come back when the OGM celebrations die down a bit.
Still the same answer - we'll see, time will tell.

I don’t know what’s normal with SOI because I never go. I believe I mentioned that the M&G tickets were sold out for an 8 hour radius of St. Louis back in January.
I could atm get a partial (shared) suite ticket to SOI for $75 on Stub Hub. Again don’t know if that is good. I’m not a big fan of ice shows and would only go for the M&G.

 

[TontoK]

Check out this post:

A

Post in thread 'Stars On Ice U.S. Tour 2026 / April-May'

Mar 8, 2026

I got an opportunity to speak with Alissa Czisny this past Friday after the Ice Dance International show. If you can attend, go see it.

I asked her if she and KB are working with SOI again, and she confirmed that they will be choreographing the group numbers and they will start rehearsing once she is done with IDI. She told me the show is selling like hotcakes, over 400K tickets so far across the US. They are shocked as they usually perform to half full arenas. I told her I got my tickets before the Olympics and she said that was a smart move. She's so down to earth and sweet...

• apgold

• 

I don't put a lot of stock on social media levels of support, but people paying for SOI who didn't before is a metric I can respect.

Alissa Czisny says in the above linked post:

This is an interesting post, Doris. And it highlights something I've really never considered, and that is interest in the sport vs monetized interest in the sport.

I have been a consistent fan for over 50 years. But I don't think I've spent $100 total on skating in that timeframe. A few skate rentals and stuff like that, but no money spent attending competitions (although I'd love to - geography is not my friend), buying tickets to shows, traveling to events. I suppose NBC and YouTube can thank me for increased viewer numbers which must be good for ad revenue somehow, but that's really about all.

For all my longstanding fandom and moral support of skating and skaters, anyone who buys a ticket to SOI has done more monetarily to support skating than I have in 50 years. And I'm glad they are doing so.