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Oakland celebrates Olympian Alysa Liu
Preparations are underway in Oakland to honor figure skater Alysa Liu, who won two gold medals at this year's Winter Olympic Games.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Preparations are underway in Oakland to honor figure skater Alysa Liu, who won two gold medals at this year's Winter Olympic Games.
A rally celebrating Liu, 20, who grew up in Oakland, is scheduled for Thursday at noon at Frank Ogawa Plaza. The free event drew immediate interest, with all 7,000 available tickets selling out.
At the Winter Games, she became the first American woman to win an individual gold medal in figure skating since 2002, and the first American to medal in the event since 2006 — all following a brief retirement from the sport.
Here's how to pronounce Alysa Liu's name: it might not be how you think
There has been a lot of mispronunciation of Oakland Olympian Alyssa Liu's name.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee is urging residents who did not secure a reservation to skip the in-person event for safety reasons, citing capacity limits at the plaza.
"We have to be very well organized, so I'm urging and encouraging people to watch it online," Lee said, adding that she is grateful for the public's support and enthusiasm.
KTVU plans to livestream the event for those unable to attend.
A billboard of Alysa Liu rises above I-880 and High Street in Oakland.