A dynamic free skate program by 21-year-old competitor Alysa Liu at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Missouri on 9/1 has captivated audiences, garnering over one million views on Instagram. Liu performed a medley of Lady Gaga's "Chromatica," "Paparazzi," and "Bad Romance," donning a platinum dress inspired by the singer's 2009 VMA stage performance. Her movements were perfectly synchronized with the music, creating a memorable routine.
Liu secured the silver medal with a total score of 228,91 points, placing behind champion Amber Glenn, who scored 233,55 points. Both Liu and Glenn, along with bronze medalist Isabeau Levito, will represent the U.S. at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy in February.
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The athlete's everyday beauty. She currently has over 200,000 followers on Instagram. Photo: Instagram/ Alysa Liu |
Her performance has also attracted over 600,000 views on X and Facebook. Many viewers commented that Alysa Liu visibly enjoyed her program, expressing passion and joy through every movement. Most viewers were particularly impressed by Liu's costume and two-toned hairstyle.
According to USA Today, Alysa Liu choreographed the routine over several months. Two days before the competition, she told the news outlet that she was excited to compete with a completely new program. Her previous performance to Lady Gaga's music was at the CS Lombardia Trophy 2025 in 9/2025, where she used a medley of "Bloody Mary," "Disease," and "Bad Romance."
Scott Bregman, a writer for Olympics.com, noted that Alysa Liu's choice to perform to Lady Gaga's music demonstrated an effort to innovate, but the results were not as expected. Previously, she used Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park," with which she won the Grand Prix Final world championship in 12/2025. Therefore, some fans expressed regret over her music change, believing she could have achieved better results with her old program.
Born in California in 2005, Alysa Liu is one of the youngest and most successful athletes of her generation. Liu began figure skating at five years old, becoming the youngest person to land a triple axel – a three-and-a-half-rotation jump considered a difficult move – at 12 years old. A year later, she became the youngest U.S. National Championship winner in American history. After competing in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, she retired for about two and a half years.
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships is an annual competition organized by U.S. Figure Skating, first launched in 1914. According to NPR, this competition serves as the final qualifier to select athletes representing the nation at this year's Winter Olympics.
The Milano Cortina Olympics will take place from 6/2 to 22/2 in the cities of Milano and Cortina d'Ampezzo. This marks the first Winter Olympic Games to be co-hosted by multiple cities, with the opening ceremony held at San Siro Stadium (Milan) and the closing ceremony in Verona.
Phuong Thao (Source: Olympics, USA Today)
