Alysa Liu Wins Olympic Gold After Chinese Spying Attempt

The American figure skater overcame a Chinese spying plot targeting her and her father, a Tiananmen Square protester.

Published on Mar. 1, 2026

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American figure skater Alysa Liu won the gold medal in women's singles figure skating at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, capping an unconventional return to the sport after she was previously targeted in a Chinese spying operation aimed at her father, Arthur Liu, a Chinese dissident who had protested the government after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Why it matters

Liu's gold medal victory is a triumph over the Chinese government's alleged attempts to intimidate her and her father, who had spoken out against human rights abuses in China. The spying plot highlights the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China, as well as the challenges faced by Chinese dissidents and their families.

The details

Weeks after Liu made her Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing games at 16 years old, the U.S. Justice Department announced charges against five people for allegedly spying on behalf of the Chinese government in a scheme targeting U.S. residents who had advocated for democracy in China, including Liu and her father. Arthur Liu, a political refugee who left China in his 20s after the Tiananmen Square massacre, said he and his daughter were both targeted, with a man posing as a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee calling him and asking for their passport information, which he refused to provide.

  • In 1989, Arthur Liu participated in pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square.
  • In the summer of 1989, Arthur Liu escaped China to Hong Kong and then to California, where he became a lawyer.
  • In 2022, Alysa Liu made her Olympic debut at the Beijing games at the age of 16.
  • In March 2022, the U.S. Justice Department announced charges against five people for allegedly spying on behalf of the Chinese government, including targeting Alysa Liu and her father.
  • In 2026, Alysa Liu won the gold medal in women's singles figure skating at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

The players

Alysa Liu

An American figure skater who won the gold medal in women's singles figure skating at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

Arthur Liu

Alysa Liu's father, who was a student at Zhongshan University in Guangzhou during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and later became a political refugee in the United States, where he raised Alysa and four other children as a single father.

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What they’re saying

“How could the People's Liberation Army use its force against its own students and residents of Beijing? I organized another protest.”

— Arthur Liu (USA Today)

“Going to prison for me was a matter of time.”

— Arthur Liu (USA Today)

“Am I in some prank show? Is this world real?”

— Alysa Liu (Reporters)

What’s next

The U.S. government continues to investigate the alleged Chinese spying plot that targeted Alysa Liu and her father.

The takeaway

Alysa Liu's gold medal victory is a powerful symbol of resilience in the face of adversity, as she overcame a Chinese government attempt to intimidate her and her family for their pro-democracy activism. Her story highlights the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China, as well as the challenges faced by Chinese dissidents and their families.