The Unusual Reason Alysa Liu Received Three Gold Medals at the Olympics
Alysa Liu had a journey over her two-week stay at the Olympic Village in Milan, Italy.
While newer fans who only began watching her this past week in the women’s individual figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics only know of her golden triumph on Thursday night, there is so much more to the Liu story.
At the start of the Games two weeks ago, Liu was part of the United States of America squad that narrowly beat Japan to win the figure skating team event.
So, all in all, Liu will be leaving Italy with two gold medals around her neck.
But did you know she actually had three different gold medals during her stay at the Olympics?
Yes, before she became the first American woman to stand atop the podium in over two decades, Liu had an issue with her first gold medal at the Games.
MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 19: Gold medalist Alysa Liu of the United States congratulates Bronze medalist Japan’s Ami Nakai after competing in the Women’…
After winning gold to begin the two-week adventure, Liu celebrated the gold medal like any 20-year-old having the time of life would – but her constant jumping up and down with the medal caused the fabric to tear from the heavy medal.
The gold medal fell to the ground, dented, with Liu posting the aftermath on social media for the world to see.
While the Olympics promptly helped Liu the very next day, she couldn’t keep the same medal without a ribbon. Instead, the committee gave her a brand new gold medal, ribbon intact, and wished her well.
The Olympic officials would come out days later and say they had fixed the problem, as fellow American and skiing gold medalist Breezy Johnson also saw her award break after numerous jumping-related celebrations.
So although Liu will only be taking two gold medals home on the plane back to the United States, she’ll always have the unique tale of being able to say she won three gold medals at the XXV Winter Olympic Games.
