Alysa Liu surpasses Eileen Gu in Instagram followers after Winter Olympics gold

Team USA figure skater's social media following skyrockets after historic victory

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Team USA's Alysa Liu reached 5.3 million followers on Instagram just one week after winning the country's first individual Olympic gold medal in women's figure skating in 24 years, surpassing fellow Chinese-American Winter Olympics star Eileen Gu who now has 3.7 million followers.

Why it matters

Liu's meteoric rise to global superstardom highlights the power of social media in sports and the contrasting narratives around two Chinese-American athletes who chose different paths - Liu competing for the U.S. and Gu for China. This has sparked debates around national loyalty and identity.

The details

Prior to the Olympics, Liu had less than 300,000 Instagram followers, but her gold medal-winning performance propelled her to worldwide fame, making her one of the biggest stories of the 2022 Winter Games. Meanwhile, Gu, who won three medals including two golds for China, saw a smaller increase in her following to 3.7 million. Many conservative influencers in the U.S. have praised Liu for bringing the gold to Team USA.

  • Alysa Liu reached 5.3 million Instagram followers on February 22, 2026, just one week after winning Olympic gold.
  • Prior to the Olympics, Liu had less than 300,000 followers on Instagram.
  • Eileen Gu had over 2.1 million followers before the Olympics, which increased to 3.7 million after her successful performance.

The players

Alysa Liu

A figure skater who won the United States' first individual Olympic gold medal in women's figure skating in 24 years at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Eileen Gu

A Chinese-American freestyle skier who won three medals, including two golds, for China at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

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What they’re saying

“YESSSSSS”

— Eileen Gu (Instagram)

The takeaway

The contrasting social media trajectories of Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu highlight the complex dynamics around national identity and loyalty, as well as the power of sports to captivate global audiences in the digital age.