Alysa Liu made Olympic history this week, capturing gold in women’s figure skating at the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina and becoming the first American woman to win the title since Sarah Hughes in 2002. The 2025 World Champion—part of the powerhouse trio dubbed the Blade Angels alongside Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito—has been a standout in the sport for years, and her long-awaited victory sent waves of celebration through the skating world.
Among those cheering her on was EGOT winner Barbra Streisand, who posted a congratulatory message to Instagram on Feb. 21. “We were so thrilled to see Alysa Liu win the gold medal in Milan yesterday,” Streisand wrote. She also noted that Liu skated to her song “Don’t Rain on My Parade” in 2019, adding, “I’m incredibly proud of her.”
The tribute took a more personal turn when Streisand mentioned hearing that Liu is half Chinese and shared memories of a Chinese family—the Choys—who lived above her in Brooklyn when she was a child. Streisand recalled working in their restaurant at age 12 and described Mrs. Choy as “like a second mother” to her.
That anecdote quickly became the focus of online discussion. Some social media users questioned the relevance of the story, calling the caption “a wild ride” and suggesting the connection felt awkward. Others defended Streisand, arguing that the post reflected an older generation’s well-intentioned—if sometimes clumsy—way of expressing solidarity and shared experience. Whether viewed as offbeat or heartfelt, the tribute sparked a broader conversation about generational communication styles in the social media age—while Liu’s gold-medal achievement remained the undeniable headline.
