Alysa Liu embarked on a roller coaster ride to her Olympic figure skating gold medal, and her father has been with her every step of the way.
Arthur Liu watched in person along with millions at home on Feb. 19 as his 20-year-old daughter completed a magical run to win the U.S.’s first women’s figure skating gold medal since 2002 with a show-stopping performance at the Milan Cortina Games. Arthur Liu shared a joyous hug with his four other children as they roared in celebration for Alysa Liu’s feat.
Alysa Liu’s nearly flawless free skate completed an incredible journey for a figure skater who was the youngest U.S. champion in history at only 13 years old, retired from the sport at 16 and began an incredible comeback at 19 years old.
Here’s what to know about Alysa Liu’s father and his approach to building a family and raising a figure skating prodigy.
Arthur Liu Emigrated to the U.S. From China
Arthur Liu moved to the Bay Area in California as a political refugee when he was 25 years old in order to flee China following his involvement in the pro-democracy protests around the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, according to NBC Olympics.
He was born in 1964 in Mingxing, a mountain village of 200 inhabitants in southwestern China’s Sichuan Province, according to a 2018 story by NBC Sports after Alysa won the U.S. title at 13 years old.
One of six siblings, he said the village where he was raised did not have electricity in his childhood. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from universities in China before his move from China to California.
Arthur Liu also earned multiple degrees from U.S. universities, including an MBA at what is now Cal State East Bay and a law degree from the University of California’s Hastings College of Law. He has since worked as a lawyer.
Arthur Liu Was Targeted by Chinese Spies, According to the Justice Department
In March 2022, the Department of Justice unsealed criminal complaints alleging that Arthur Liu was targeted by agents of the Chinese government who tried to intimidate him for his criticism of the Chinese regime.
“They are still paying attention to me after 30-some years, since I organized protests and hunger strikes for democracy in China,” Arthur Liu told NBC News at the time.
Arthur Liu told The Associated Press that he had been warned about the scheme by the FBI in October 2021, as Alysa was preparing to compete in the Beijing Winter Olympics. He said he didn’t tell her about it because he didn’t want to distract her before the Games.
Alysa Liu finished seventh in the individual event.
“This is her moment. This is her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games,” her father told The Associated Press at the time. “I’m not going to let them stop her from going and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure she’s safe and I’m willing to make sacrifices so she can enjoy the moment. I’m not going to let them win — to stop me — to silence me from expressing my opinions anywhere.”
Alysa Liu had at least two people escorting her at all times during the Beijing Olympics. It came five months after Arthur Liu said a man called claiming to be an official with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and asked for his and Alysa’s passport numbers, according the AP.
“I’ve kind of accepted my life to be like this because of what I chose to do in 1989, to speak up against the government,” Arthur Liu said. “And I know the Chinese government will extend their long hands into any corner in the world, I’m going to continue to enjoy life and live life as I want to live. I’m not going to let this push me down and I’m not going to let them succeed.”
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in 2022 that China is “firmly opposed to the U.S. slandering by making an issue of this out of thin air.”
Arthur Liu Is the Single Father of 5 Children Born to Surrogate Mothers
Arthur Liu intentionally built his family as a single father and had five children, including triplets, through a pair of surrogates, according to NBC Sports. The children were born using his sperm and anonymous egg donors.
“I had always wanted to have kids and I was already 40,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2019.
Alysa Liu’s younger siblings include triplets Justin, Julia and Joshua, and her sister, Selina. Alysa Liu told figure skating outlet A Divine Sport in 2025 that Selina is two years younger than her and the triplets, four years.
Alysa Liu learned the details of her birth when she was 8 years old. Her father told NBC Sports she started asking, “Why do I look different? Why don’t I look Chinese?” She had actually met the surrogate who gave birth to her without knowing about their connection.
“Alysa and a friend had almost figured it out on their own,” Arthur Liu told NBC Sports. “So she wasn’t surprised when I told her.”
Arthur Liu said he enlisted the help of his mother, Shu, who moved to California from China for eight years to help raise the children before returning to China in 2016. He also had a friend help out as Alysa’s career took off and he was frequently at skating rinks.
Alysa Liu Dedicated Her Historic U.S. Figure Skating Title to Her Father
Alysa Liu said on TODAY in 2019 that she gave the winning medal to her father after became the U.S. national champion at 13.
“He just helps me so much bringing me to the rink every day, and I think he puts in a lot of effort and he deserves it,’’ Alysa Liu told Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb at the time.
Arthur Liu Has Been a Pivotal Figure in Alysa’s Skating Career
Alysa Liu began the sport at 5 years old, and Arthur told “60 Minutes” in January 2026 that he has spent “a half a million to a million dollars” on her career.
“I spared no money, no time,” he said. “I just saw the talent.”
In the same “60 Minutes” interview, Alysa Liu said she had “a very abnormal childhood,” skating every day at 13 and 14 years old.
She made the stunning announcement after the Beijing Olympics in 2022 that she was retiring at 16.
“I started skating when I was 5 so that’s about 11 years on the ice and it’s been an insane 11 years,” she wrote on Instagram.
“I honestly never thought I would’ve accomplished as much as I did,” she added. “I’m so happy. I feel so satisfied with how my skating career has gone.”
When she decided to make a comeback at 19, her father played a lesser role.
“He’s a great father, I just didn’t want him to be as invested in it as he was before,” she told “60 Minutes.”
Arthur Liu said he was “a little bit hurt” by the decision but remains supportive. He was at the Milan Cortina Games cheering her on with her siblings.
Alysa Liu notably took control of her own career when she returned to the sport.
“I get to pick my own program music, I get to help with the creative process of the program,” she told “60 Minutes.” “If I feel like I’m skating too much, I’ll back down. If I feel like I’m not skating enough, I’ll ramp it up. No one is going to starve me, tell me what I can and can’t eat.”
Alysa Liu’s electrifying gold medal-winning performance in Italy was set to Donna Summer’s funky disco song “MacArthur Park Suite.” Her signature “alternative” style has also made her a distinctive figure in the sport.
