The 2026 Olympics have been a dramatic one for the books. Athletes have broken down in tears, been wished good luck by their idols, and celebrated well-deserved victories. But one competitor has stood above the rest: Alysa Liu, the first U.S. women's champion in figure skating since 2002. Liu has gone viral for her joyful countenance and supportive, fun-loving attitude in a high-stakes environment that has seen many others crack under the pressure. She carried that attitude all the way to the end, and I was so swept up in the fun that I nearly missed her Taylor Swift-coded hand gesture at the closing gala.
Viral Olympic Figure Skater Was So Good That I Almost Missed Her Surprise Hand Gesture
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Published Feb 24, 2026
•4:13pm
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The end of the figure skating competition is marked by an exhibition gala, in which competitors can flaunt their creativity instead of the high-strung competition programs they prepare for the season. Liu came out on the ice in a coquettish ensemble complete with a choker to skate to "Stateside" by PinkPantheress featuring Zara Larsson. True to her personality, the program was sassy, cheeky and playful—including that ponytail flip—Liu proving that above all, she's a performer. And at the end of the event, she grinned wide and gave the crowd a Taylor Swift hand heart.
It was a victorious end to Liu's comeback run, when she came out of retirement for the 2024-25 season and ended up as both the U.S. national champion and World Champion that year. In winning the latter, Liu was the first American woman to cinch the title since 2006. And now with her Olympic wins, she's certainly going down in the history books.
