OAKLAND — During Alysa Liu’s inspiring performances at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, she gave a shoutout to her hometown of Oakland after her gold medal-winning short program performance in figure skating.
Liu, who walked away from the sport four years ago, made an amazing comeback that concluded with a gold medal. In fact, she was the first American woman to win an individual Olympic medal in the sport since Sasha Cohen in 2006.
Now Oakland is repaying the celebrated ice skater with a shoutout of its own.
The Illuminaries, an urban street art group responsible for many murals throughout Oakland and the Bay Area, depict Liu with her gold medal in a mural at the corner of 43rd Street and Telegraph Avenue.
Illuminaries’ artists Steve Ha, Tim Hon and Eric Nodora worked on the mural in the Temescal district over several days as residents watched the progression. Liu’s mural replaces that of former Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson.
The Oakland Roots sponsored the mural.
The murals aren’t the only way that Oakland has honored its Olympic hero. Fenton’s Creamery has offered the gold medalist free ice cream for life. And she received a celebratory message after an Italian dinner at a restaurant in Alameda.
Illuminaries artists Steve Ha, left, Tim Hon, top, and Eric Nodora work on a mural depicting Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu at the corner of 43rd Street and Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) “This is insane!” Magingo Mpungwe, from Michigan, says as she stops to take a look at the Illuminaries artists working on a mural depicting Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu at the corner of 43rd Street and Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) A pedestrian walks past Illuminaries artist Eric Nodora working on a mural depicting Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu at the corner of 43rd Street and Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Illuminaries artists Steve Ha, far left, Eric Nodora and Tim Hon, top, work on a mural depicting Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu at the corner of 43rd Street and Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Gold medalist Alysa Liu of Team United States poses for a photo during the medal ceremony for the Women’s Single Skating on day thirteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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