OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — A mural celebrating Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu was unveiled in the ice skater’s hometown of Oakland over the weekend. The massive mural was painted by local graffiti artist collective, Illuminaries.
The 18-by-30-foot mural was painted over two days on Friday and Saturday at 43rd Street and Telegraph Avenue. It captures the iconic, teeth-baring pose the Olympian struck with her gold medal after becoming the first American woman to top the podium in figure skating since 2002.
Alysa Liu spotted dining out at Trabocco in Alameda Tuesday
Photo: KRON4
KRON4 cameras captured the artists painting the mural and locals and passers by posing with the finished work. The mural features the words “Shoutout Oakland,” a quote from Liu who said those words after skating her gold medal program. (Watch the video in the player above)
According to Steve Ha, one of the artists behind the mural, the pose Liu is making is what’s known as the “thizz” face, an expression associated with Oakland’s Hyphy movement and Vallejo rapper Mac Dre in particular.
Lui, 20, was born in Clovis and raised in Richmond. However, she learned to skate at the Oakland Ice Center and in a recent social media comment, said she’d spent 80% of her life in Oakland and lives there currently.
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