Olympic gold-medalist Alysa Liu receives a hero’s welcome from her hometown of Oakland, California, as thousands gather for a celebration rally in her honor.

The public event was held outside of Oakland City Hall on Mar. 12, marking the 20-year-old’s return after winning figure skating gold in both the women’s singles and team competitions at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games.

“I’m really excited for today’s rally, I am in for a lot of surprises,” Liu said during a press conference prior to the event. “I didn’t want to know anything beforehand, so pretty stoked.”

Liu became the first American woman to win a Winter Olympic gold in women’s figure skating in more than two decades.

She finished with 226.79 points, defeating Japanese teammates Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai, who took silver and bronze during the women’s singles skating event.

“My environment did shape me because this is such a great place and I’m so lucky to grow up here and still live here today,” Liu said of her upbringing.

Liu, who grew up in the East Bay area of San Francisco, was presented with a key to the city by Mayor Barbara Lee and was praised for her achievements.

“Alysa is a gold medal champion, and she is a hometown hero,” Lee said. “Every time she stepped onto the ice, she carried the spirit of Oakland with her.”

Liu picked up her first pair of skates as a young child and spent time training at the Oakland Ice Center. At just age 13, Liu became the youngest women’s national champion in history, and now, with Olympic success, she admits navigating her newfound fame comes with challenges.

Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu speaks during a press conference celebrating her accomplishments at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics in Oakland, Calif., on March 12, 2026. Liu won the United States' first gold medal in women's singles figure skating since 2002. (Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)

“I mean, it is very different going outside,” she told reporters. “Every time I’m out, someone recognizes me. So my daily routine is a little bit different, but most people have been really respectful, so I’ve been grateful for that.”

“I gotta learn how to live my life and go on about my day without like getting stopped too many times,” she continued.

When asked about her recent withdrawal from the upcoming World Figure Skating Championships, Liu said she had every intention of competing, but prior engagements and reduced training times would prevent her from achieving peak performance.

“I don’t think I would be able to put out my best performance,” she said. “There’s always next season. I got to show my programs already on the biggest stage, so I feel satisfied with that.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.