When someone asks about notable Oakland athletes, your thoughts might turn to your favorite former Oakland Raider, Athletic or Golden State Warrior. Or maybe you’ll think first about someone who was a professional elsewhere but who claims Oakland as their hometown.

Now, there’s a new name that will be coming up as some people’s first option for years to come: Olympic champion figure skater Alysa Liu.

At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, the Oakland local reached the pinnacle of the figure skating world as she earned two gold medals, including an emphatic win in the women’s singles.

With an emotional short program set to Laufey’s “Promise” and a joyous free skate to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park,” Liu earned the first women’s figure skating gold medal for the U.S. since 2002 and represented a flourishing finish to one of the most storybook comebacks of all time.

Liu retired from skating in 2022 at just 16 years old despite winning the bronze medal at the World Figure Skating Championships just a month prior, among a plethora of other accomplishments. She claimed she was satisfied with her career and instead looked to experience the world.

After two and a half years living a more typical life away from the sport, though, the exhilaration of skating beckoned her, and she returned to the ice in 2024 on her own terms.

“I get to pick my own program music. I get to help with the creative process of the program. If I feel like I’m skating too much, I’ll back down,” Liu said in an interview with 60 Minutes earlier this year. “No one’s gonna starve me or tell me what I can and can’t eat … I have my own determination.”

In charge of herself, Liu picked up right where she left off, perhaps even better than before. Her coaches certainly think so, and the results don’t lie, either, as she won gold at the 2025 world championships and silver at the 2025 and 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships ahead of her dominance in Milan.

BART, AC Transit, the San Jose Sharks, the Oakland Ballers and more online congratulated Liu on her individual gold medal, sharing their pride in Liu representing Oakland and the greater Bay Area on the world stage. One of the most historic landmarks in Oakland, Fenton’s Creamery, announced Liu has ice cream for life from them.

Even Cal’s club ice hockey team got in on the fun, reminding fans that they share the same home ice with Liu at the Oakland Ice Center.

Perhaps the most influential ambassador for Oakland, at least within the sports world, gave Liu a shoutout even before she secured the glory. After Liu finished third in the short program heading into the free skate, NBC Sports posted a video of Cal football alumnus Marshawn Lynch encouraging Liu to bring gold “back to the Town.”

For her part, Liu has responded to the outpouring of love from her hometown with gusto, especially in a multitude of interviews.

“I train in the Bay, I live in the Bay, my friends are in the Bay — everything’s in the Bay for me, and I’m really proud to rep it,” Liu said in a video posted by NBC Bay Area on TikTok. “Oakland means a lot.”

As she was coming off the ice after her short program, Liu turned to the camera with a smile and said one thing: “Oakland! Shoutout Oakland!”

Even with all of her accolades and medals, Liu still has an entire career ahead of her for as long as she chooses to continue skating. No matter when that is, there’s no doubt that she’s going to represent Oakland and the Bay Area to the fullest, while the Town supports her right back.