When 20-year-old American figure skater Alysa Liu took to the ice at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, she didn't just bring her incredible athletic talent—she brought a "quintessential American story of freedom". Winning the gold medal with a "carefree, joyous" performance, Liu's victory is a testament not only to her own resilience but also to the extraordinary courage of her father, a survivor of communism.
Escaping the Regime
Long before Alysa was standing on an Olympic podium, her father, Arthur Liu, was fighting for democracy. In 1989, Arthur was targeted by the Communist Regime of China and branded as "Most Wanted" for organizing freedom protests during the Tiananmen Square demonstrations.
The CCP has a well-documented history of heavily persecuting dissidents, political activists, and people of faith, including groups like Falun Gong. After the regime "cracked down and murdered thousands of protesters," Arthur knew his life was in imminent danger. To avoid imprisonment, he "miraculously escaped to Hong Kong" on a smuggler's boat before eventually "fleeing to safety in America".
There, he built a new life, graduating from law school, starting a firm in California, and raising a family. In 2005, his daughter Alysa was born, growing up to become one of the top figure skaters in the world.
Standing Firm Against Intimidation
Despite finding sanctuary in the United States, the Liu family's past continued to shadow them. As Alysa rose to global prominence, she notably "refused to skate for the CCP when they tried to recruit her for the Beijing Olympics of 2022".
This principled stance came with a heavy price. The U.S. Justice Department later charged several men with acting on behalf of the Chinese government to target dissidents living in America, including Arthur. The FBI warned the family that "communist spies were after the Liu family, stalking them and attempting to intimidate them".
A Child of Freedom Wins Gold
Rather than crumbling under the immense pressure of international espionage and Olympic expectations, Alysa fought back with "carefree joy". She took control of her skating career on her own terms, embracing her individuality and refusing to let the intimidation tactics succeed.
When she finally struck her gold-medal pose on Thursday, February 19, 2026, after winning the Women Single Skating event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, flashing an "impish grin" to the crowd, it was a beautiful conclusion to a decades-long journey. As one tribute perfectly summarized, "This week, a child of freedom won the gold medal at the Olympics in Italy, thanks in part to her father's courageous quest".
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