Alysa Liu opened up about how her father, Arthur Liu, shaped her into being independent and having a fearless backbone. The skater recently wrapped up her 2026 Winter Olympics campaign with two gold medals.
One of the biggest hands behind Liu’s success is her father’s. During the initial phase of her career, he was intensely involved, playing the role of her manager, helping her financially in the sport, motivating her in her training, and more. He is a single father of five kids who currently lives in California.
Arthur Liu had to flee from China at the young age of 25 after being involved in the pro-democracy protests around the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. Liu recently revealed how her father’s independent nature has shaped her character in the same way. In a conversation with Teen Vogue, the American lauded her father, stating:
“My father has a backbone, and so I have it too. He is independent, and he speaks up, and he raised us to do the same. We even talk back to him, but that’s his fault. He raised us that way. So, he’s proud of that, and I am too,” said Alysa Liu.
Liu made a comeback to figure skating in October 2024 after retiring early post the 2022 Olympics. In her appearance at the Milan-Cortina, she nabbed a gold medal in the team event and clinched her second one in the free skate finals, where she delivered a nearly flawless performance.
Alysa Liu’s father opened up about stepping back to let his daughter lead on her own following the Winter Olympics
After Alysa Liu won her second gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics on February 19, her father spoke to USA Today, where he made his feelings known about stepping down from his role as his daughter’s manager. He revealed that even though it bothered him, he always wanted someone to take over, highlighting his packed schedule with his job and the other children.
“So I had always wanted somebody to take over, and that happened. So, OK, you’re not on the team anymore. In a way, it hurts a little bit to hear. But as a matter of fact, that’s exactly where I wanted, for her to be independent,” said Alysa Liu’s father.
He added:
“She has a good team of people around her. So I don’t have to worry about how I can protect her or what to do. I’m totally hands-off with her business. I have done my job for her, and now I need to focus on the other four (children).’’
Alysa Liu will now return on the ice during the World Figure Skating Championships, which is slated for March 23 to 29 in Prague.
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