America's newest figure skating sweetheart has a gentle correction for millions of fans: you've been saying her name wrong - and she couldn't care less.
Alysa Liu, the 20-year-old who became the first American woman to win Olympic figure skating gold in 24 years, revealed in a recent Newsweek interview that her name is pronounced "Ah-LEE-sah Lee-oh" — not "uh-LISS-uh Loo," which is how most broadcasters and fans have been saying it throughout her rise to stardom at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
"So technically, this is how my family says my name: Ah-LEE-sah Lee-oh," Liu said in the video interview. "That's technically how you say my name, but 'Ah-LISS-uh' is how my friends call me, and that's how the world calls me."
As for her last name, Liu explained that many people say "Lee-oo" or "Loo," while the correct pronunciation is a single syllable: "Lee-oh." She added that she isn't bothered by the mistakes. "I personally don't care because technically the right way is 'Lee-oh,' but that can be hard to pronounce. I don't expect people to know how to say that."
The clarification went viral almost immediately, sparking widespread conversation about the mispronunciation of Chinese names in American media and sports broadcasting. The timing coincided with a separate viral moment from actor Simu Liu, who posted a video reminding fans how to properly say his last name - highlighting how Mandarin pronunciation can involve tonal shifts that are easy for English speakers to miss.
Liu's name correction comes in the middle of a whirlwind few weeks since her performances in Italy made her one of the faces of the 2026 Games. She won gold in both the women's singles event and the team competition, and her Instagram following surged from around 355,000 before the Olympics to more than 6 million afterward.
Despite all the attention, Liu announced on March 8 via Instagram Stories that she would not compete in the 2026 ISU World Figure Skating Championships later this month in Prague. "There's been a lot of exciting things happening since my return from Milan, so I'm taking some time for that," she wrote. "I will be cheering everyone on from afar. See y'all next season!"
The sudden fame has not been without its complications. Liu shared on Instagram Stories on March 4 that upon arriving at the airport, a crowd was waiting for her with cameras and items to sign - and that someone chased her to her car. "Please do not do that to me," she wrote.
Regardless of how fans say her name, Liu's legacy at just 20 years old is already firmly written in American sports history.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube