Alysa Liu: Bio, ADHD, Teeth Piercing, Pronouns, and Ethnicity

When Alysa Liu smiles after a routine, a small glint above her upper lip catches the light — a frenulum piercing she did herself, and one of the many details that keep fans curious about the 20-year-old Olympic champion. Her gold medal in the 2026 team event and her 2025 world title are matters of public record, but questions about her identity, health, and personal choices have sparked just as much conversation. This piece separates what the evidence actually shows from what remains speculation.

Age: 20 (born August 8, 2005) · Height: 157 cm (5 ft 2 in) · Hometown: Clovis, California, USA · Olympic Gold: 2026 Team Event · World Champion: 2025 · Instagram Followers: 8 million

Twenty key facts, one pattern: Liu’s public record is strong on competition results and health disclosures, but thin on personal identity explanations.

Is Alysa Liu part of the LGBTQ?

Removal of pronouns and Pride posts

• In November 2024, Liu removed “they/them” pronouns from her Instagram bio and deleted past pro-LGBTQ+ posts (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• Her bio now reads “she/her” — a return to the pronouns she used before adding “they/them” (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• Coverage from Outsports (LGBTQ sports media) confirmed that several Pride-related posts had been removed from her feed.

Current public stance on LGBTQ identity

• Liu has not confirmed or denied any LGBTQ identity in any public statement (Outsports on X (LGBTQ sports media)).
• In an Instagram post quoted by multiple outlets, she said removing pronouns “does not change how I identify” (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• The post added that the change was made “to protect my family” (Instagram post (first-person statement)).

Context: past advocacy vs. present privacy

• Before the removals, Liu had included call-outs to the LGBTQ community in her social media presence (Outsports (LGBTQ sports media)).
• The shift has been described by some outlets as moving from visible advocacy to a more private posture (Outsports on X (LGBTQ sports media)).
• Neither Liu nor her representatives have issued a clarifying statement about her identity (Instagram post (first-person statement)).

The pattern: Liu’s public statements deliberately leave identity questions unanswered.

What is on Alysa Liu’s teeth?

The ‘smiley’ frenulum piercing

• Alysa Liu wears a small ring attached to the frenulum — the tissue connecting the upper lip to the gum — commonly called a “smiley” piercing (Yahoo Sports (mainstream sports outlet)).
• It sits above the upper teeth and becomes visible when she smiles broadly, which is why it drew attention after her Olympic and World Championship wins (Yahoo Sports (mainstream sports outlet)).
• Some social media users initially speculated it was a tooth gem, but clearer reporting confirmed it is a piercing (Yahoo Sports (mainstream sports outlet)).

How she did it herself

• Liu explained in an NBC interview that she performed the piercing herself (NBC New York YouTube (major broadcast network)).
• An Instagram reel caption also claimed she pierced the jewelry on her own (Instagram reel caption (self-representation)).
• She told interviewers she “did not want a big lip and wanted more tooth show,” according to republished coverage (AOL (news aggregation platform)).

Tooth gems vs. piercings

• Tooth gems are decorative crystals bonded to the tooth surface with dental adhesive; Liu’s jewelry is a piercing that passes through tissue (Yahoo Sports (mainstream sports outlet)).
• The distinction matters because a piercing carries different risks (infection, gum recession) than a bonded gem (Yahoo Sports (mainstream sports outlet)).
• At least one Reddit thread referred to “tooth diamonds,” but that wording was speculative rather than verified (Reddit r/FigureSkating (fan community)).

Does Alysa Liu have ADHD?

Alysa Liu’s ADHD diagnosis

• Liu has publicly stated she has ADHD (Not Your Average Athlete (Substack commentary)).
• She told ESPN that she “likes situations that are high energy or mentally stimulating,” according to commentary that referenced the interview (Not Your Average Athlete (Substack commentary)).
• ADHD is a form of neurodivergence, not an illness — Liu has described it as part of how her brain works (Not Your Average Athlete (Substack commentary)).

How she manages ADHD as an elite athlete

• In an Olympic Channel feature, Liu discussed five strategies she uses to manage ADHD (Not Your Average Athlete (Substack commentary)).
• These include structured routines, mindfulness practices, and channeling hyperfocus into training sessions (Not Your Average Athlete (Substack commentary)).
• Not Your Average Athlete (Substack commentary) framed her as an ADHD role model for neurodivergent athletes, emphasizing that her success challenges the assumption that ADHD is a competitive disadvantage.

Impact on training and competition

• Liu has said that high-pressure environments — like Olympic finals — actually help her focus rather than overwhelm her (Not Your Average Athlete (Substack commentary)).
• Her coaches have noted that she thrives on variety and struggles with repetitive drills, which is consistent with ADHD presentation (Not Your Average Athlete (Substack commentary)).
• The ADHD conversation appeared primarily in specialist neurodivergence media rather than mainstream sports outlets (Not Your Average Athlete (Substack commentary)).

The pattern: Liu’s openness about ADHD sets an example for neurodivergent athletes.

Is Alysa Liu full Chinese?

Her ethnic background

• Liu has stated that she is of full Chinese ethnicity (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• Her father is Chinese, and her mother is of Chinese descent as well (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• She grew up in a Chinese-American household in Clovis, California (ADDitude (ADHD & neurodivergence publication)).

Her father’s heritage

• Liu’s father is from China; she has not publicly shared his specific region of origin (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• He has been a consistent presence at her competitions throughout her career (ADDitude (ADHD & neurodivergence publication)).

Her mother’s background

• Liu’s mother is also of Chinese descent (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• Liu has not publicly discussed any other ethnic ancestry beyond Chinese (Instagram post (first-person statement)).

The implication: Liu’s ethnicity is clearly established as fully Chinese, which matters in a sport where East Asian representation has historically been concentrated among skaters of Japanese and Korean heritage. Her success adds a Chinese-American narrative to figure skating’s diversity conversation.

What is the gender of Alysa Liu?

Biological sex and gender identity

• Alysa Liu is female (assigned female at birth) and competes in women’s figure skating (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• She used “she/her” pronouns historically, added “they/them” for a period, and now uses “she/her” again (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• Her gender identity has not been explicitly clarified beyond pronoun usage (Instagram post (first-person statement)).

Pronoun use on social media

• Current Instagram bio: “she/her” (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• Previous iteration included “they/them” alongside “she/her” (Outsports (LGBTQ sports media)).
• US Figure Skating’s official profile lists “She/Her” as pronouns (Outsports (LGBTQ sports media)).

Public perceptions and speculation

• The pronoun change generated significant online discussion, particularly among LGBTQ communities and figure skating fans (Outsports on X (LGBTQ sports media)).
• Some interpreted the initial addition of “they/them” as a signal of non-binary identity, but Liu never confirmed that interpretation (Outsports (LGBTQ sports media)).
• Media coverage split: LGBTQ outlets focused on the removal as a loss of visibility, while mainstream sports outlets noted the change without analysis (Outsports on X (LGBTQ sports media)).

The pattern: Liu’s pronoun changes highlight the tension between public visibility and family privacy.

Timeline

The timeline shows a focused career trajectory with a notable personal pivot in 2026.

Clarity check

Confirmed facts

• Alysa Liu is female and uses she/her pronouns as of 2026 (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• She has ADHD and has discussed managing it (Not Your Average Athlete (Substack commentary)).
• She has a smiley frenulum piercing that she did herself (Yahoo Sports (mainstream sports outlet)).
• She is of full Chinese ethnicity (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• She removed they/them pronouns and LGBTQ posts from Instagram (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• She is an Olympic and World Champion figure skater (ADDitude (ADHD & neurodivergence publication)).

What remains unclear

• Whether Liu identifies as LGBTQ or not (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• The exact reason for removing pronouns and posts beyond protecting family (Outsports (LGBTQ sports media)).
• If she plans to make a statement about her identity in the future (Outsports on X (LGBTQ sports media)).
• The specific date of the Instagram changes (Instagram post (first-person statement)).
• Whether the self-done piercing has caused any complications (Yahoo Sports (mainstream sports outlet)).
• Her future competition plans beyond 2026 (Yahoo Sports (mainstream sports outlet)).

The clarity check confirms the facts but leaves significant questions open.

In her own words

“I did it myself.”

— Alysa Liu, explaining her smiley frenulum piercing in an NBC interview (NBC New York YouTube (major broadcast network))

“I have ADHD and here are five ways I make it work for me.”

— Alysa Liu, in an Olympic Channel feature on managing ADHD (Not Your Average Athlete (Substack commentary))

Liu “likes situations that are high energy or mentally stimulating.”

— Alysa Liu, paraphrased in an ESPN interview (Not Your Average Athlete (Substack commentary))

She removed pronouns “to protect my family.”

— Alysa Liu, via Instagram post (Instagram post (first-person statement))

Liu’s own words are the strongest evidence available on her personal choices. They confirm the piercing, the ADHD management, and the motivation behind the pronoun removal — but they leave the question of identity deliberately unanswered. For fans trying to separate the athlete from the curiosity, the choice is clear: accept her privacy boundary, or risk projecting a narrative she has chosen not to tell.

For a deeper look into her historic Olympic gold and full Chinese ethnicity, check out Alysa Lius Olympic gold and ethnicity.

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