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Figure skater Alysa Liu asks for personal space after being ‘chased’ by fan

Alysa Liu of the United States competes during the women's figure skating free program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko

Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu is asking for “personal space” after she says she was “chased” to her car by a fan at the airport.

Liu, who won two gold medals at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan, shared the incident on her Instagram stories while pleading with fans not to invade her “personal space.”

“So I land at the airport, & there’s a crowd waiting at the exit with cameras & things for me to sign,” Liu wrote on her Instagram stories on Wednesday.

Click to play video: 'Reflecting on the 2026 Winter Olympics'
Reflecting on the 2026 Winter Olympics

“All up in my personal space,” Liu continued, adding, “Someone chased me to my car bruh.”

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She asked her fans to refrain from that behaviour, writing, “Please do not do that to me.”

A screenshot of Alysa Liu's Instagram Stories.
A screenshot of Alysa Liu’s Instagram stories. @AlysaxLiu/Instagram

The 20-year-old skater, who made history as the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating in 24 years, did not share further details. She won two gold medals at the Games in Milan.

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Liu, who grew up in Oakland, Calif., has been travelling around the U.S. to speak about her skating career and Olympic experience. When she returned from Milan on Feb. 24 at the San Francisco International Airport, Delta employees gave her a shout-out on the plane and fans waited in the airport terminal for her arrival.

@tbaabyy28

So dope! Not everyday you get to meet a gold medalist & from your hometown! She made the #bayarea so proud!! Congratulations #alysaliu #foryoupage #goldmedal #olympics

♬ MacArthur Park – Single Version – Donna Summer

City leaders in Oakland have planned a rally to honour Liu after her Olympic wins.

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Mayor Barbara Lee’s office announced that the celebration will take place on March 12.

“Alysa Liu is Oakland – her drive, her brilliance, her joy. Watching her claim gold for our city and our country filled every Oaklander with pride, and we are overjoyed to welcome her home,” Lee said in a statement. “This rally is a celebration not just of an extraordinary champion, but of everything our community represents: grit, excellence, and the belief that Oakland always punches above its weight.”

Liu is scheduled to make an appearance at the event, which is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

After Liu was back on U.S. soil, she told Teen Vogue that she went home to the Bay Area and “literally did whatever I wanted for five days.”

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“I didn’t have any media, and I had no commitments, so it was really great. I got to see a lot of my friends again, and just relax and catch up on sleep. I skated twice just because I wanted to,” she added.

Liu also told E! News that the spotlight has been an adjustment since returning to figure skating following her four-year hiatus.

“I want my life to stay as similar as possible every way and no one has thought that it would,” she said in February, “but I’m really going to try to keep my peace because I like my life. I don’t want it to be too chaotic. I want it to stay calm and peaceful and chill.”

When asked what protecting her peace means to her, she said, “Honestly, I would say privacy. Privacy for sure. Privacy is a big one.”

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