Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu dazzles at gala to PinkPantheress and she is loving it: 'MY PINKCUB!!'

Dubai: In a uniquely personal moment at the 2026 Olympic Exhibition Gala, two-time Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu lit up the Milano Ice Skating Arena with a performance that blended elite ice skating moves with a pop culture flair.

Skating to the remix of Stateside by PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson, Liu's routine became one of the most talked about moments online amongst fans.

Earlier in the Olympic week, Liu was taken by surprise when reporter Raymond Braun showed her a heartfelt video message from PinkPantheress herself.

In the clip, the British singer thanked Liu for her support: "Alysa, lots of love thank you so much for supporting me. I hope that you have a really good show. You are so inspiring and when I was younger, I was obsessed with figure skaters, so you are literally living my dream."

Liu's reaction was genuine and she called PinkPantheress her favorite artist and shared that if she gets the chance to skate in the Olympic Gala, she'd chose Stateside as her music.

And that exchange set the tone for her stage, she kept her word and performed to the song at the Figure Skating Exhibiting Gala in Milan.

Gala night: Freedom on the ice

The Exhibition Gala, is a traditional closing event where scores don't matter and skaters skate for joy, proving Liu with the perfect backdrop for Liu's stateside performance.

Dressed in a glittering dark blue costume and a confident smile, she delivered a routine that with her signature touch which perfectly went along with the upbeat and fresh sound of the song.

The choice of music was more than just catchy; it brought an unexpected crossover between figure skating and pop culture. Stateside has been a massive streaming hit, especially among the younger audience and fans are crediting Liu for her Gen-Z spirit. Fans jokingly saying that Liu seriously went 'skateside.'

PinkPantheress couldn't hide her delight, taking it to X reacting to Liu's performance with a heartfelt "UGH SHE'S SO FABBBB"

Zara Larrson also shared her excitement on TikTok, reacting to Liu's performance praising her artistry and energy.

For Liu it was a full-circle moment, there's nothing quite like having your idols notice you and become your biggest fans.

Article contributed by Saarangi Aji