Olympic champion Alysa Liu receives key to Oakland in hometown rally

Olympic figure skating champion Alysa Liu was celebrated in her hometown of Oakland on Thursday with a rally that included her receiving a key to the city.

Liu, who won the first Winter Games gold medal by an American woman in more than two decades, captured two gold medals in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. She won the gold medal in the women’s singles competition and a second as part of the U.S. team event.

“Alysa Liu, she represented The Town! When she skated, she showed style, she showed finesse, she showed Oakland style,” City Councilmember Ken Houston said. “And when she bit the coin, she let ’em know that Oakland is in the house. So we are so proud of her.”

Alysa Liu can now add the key to the city of Oakland to her trophy case. Mayor Barbara Lee gifted her the key at Thursday’s rally honoring the Olympic gold medalist outside of City Hall. https://t.co/1XXkp6y21v pic.twitter.com/WFQe1zpY83
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) March 12, 2026

Throughout the Olympics, Liu, 20, represented her hometown not only through her performances but also verbally. After finishing her program, she spotted a fan in the crowd holding the city’s flag. Liu smiled, pointed toward the fan and then looked at the camera and said, “Oakland shoutout!”

Another viral clip paying homage to her roots came when she was asked to finish the line “Alysa Liu is…” and proudly exclaimed: “From the Bay!”

The event also featured performances by fellow Bay Area natives G-Eazy and Grammy Award winner Kehlani.

Bay Area sports teams were also represented at the celebration, with mascots from the independent baseball team Oakland Ballers and WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries among those in attendance.