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劉美賢昇華式金牌演出後的狂喜 - Ron Dicker
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瀏覽522 ｜回應4｜推薦1 |
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劉美賢和父親劉俊的點點滴滴 - Michael Daly
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請參考：
* 劉美賢、谷愛凌冬奧奪金，兩人家庭教養方式大不同！給台灣家長的啟示？
* 劉美賢的父親曾受惠於黎智英的黃雀行動逃到美國 苦讀考上律師後終身反共
Why This American Hero’s Refugee Father Fears for Democracy
Michael Daly, 02/25/26
If President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address leaves you concerned for the union’s actual state, you can reassure yourself by watching a clip of 20-year-old Alysa Liu skating with her individual gold medal across the ice at the Winter Olympics, an American flag around her shoulders.
She is incandescent with a joy that transcends simply besting the other skaters. She is not so much about being a winner as simply being herself in the fullest, most exultant sense, then conveying it to others.
And for her to wear the Stars and Stripes is not about America First before everything else, but about America Foremost as an exuberantly grateful example that everyone is invited to follow in their own chosen way.
“The most important part of my story is human connection,” Alysa Liu told the press. “That’s all I want in my life, human connection.”
She won a second gold medal as a member of Team USA, but by another measure, her biggest achievement was outside the rink. She proved to be one person who can unite the divided union, connecting with what is human in the right as well as the left. She even drew cheers from MAGA despite having spoken out in the past against Trump’s immigration policies, despite being herself the daughter of a political refugee.
Her China-born dad, 61 year-old Arthur Liu, was in attendance at her triumph in Milan along with the younger four of the five children he has raised as a single parent. He is a lawyer who has seen firsthand the conditions in an ICE detention center and handled enough immigration cases on Zoom to worry for our democracy. He also knows what it is to be forced to flee a totalitarian regime. He sat in the spectator seats as a true American patriot as well as a proud dad.
“I had an American flag in my hand the whole time,” he told the Daily Beast on Sunday evening. “I love America. America gave me a second life.”
His first life had begun in poverty in a mountain village in the southwestern province of Sichuan during the darkest days of communist China.
“When I was growing up, you were lucky if you have food,” he said.
But whatever the hardships, Arthur Liu’s mother, Shu, and father, Caifu, exhibited a wealth of decency.
“One thing I remember about being raised by my parents is both of them were super, super nice people,” Liu recalled. “They treated people with care, and they were always helpful to other people, and my mother always said, ‘To lift your finger to help people doesn’t cost you anything.’”
And the mother matched that philosophy with a buoyant spirit.
“She’s always very optimistic, she’s always laughing,” Liu said. “She’s the kind of people, you hear their laughter before you see them.”
Liu inherited the laugh while also possessing a serious, determined side in the classroom.
“I was good at school from a very young age, so I was always like the top student in the class,” he said. “Only 5 percent of high school graduates in China at that time could go to college. And I was one of them. I worked very hard.”
He has to be nudged to allow that, along with being disciplined. “I think I am fairly smart.”
He went to college at 16 and graduated with a degree in English language and literature. He was a graduate student in 1989, when a pro-democracy movement swept through China’s campuses.
“Because I studied British and American literature, western culture, history, religion, so I had already formed the ideas that… everybody in the country should have the basic human rights, should be able to participate in the political process instead of a dictatorship,” he recalled.
He became a leading pro-democracy activist in the same time period as the massacre in Tiananmen Square.
“I was one of the most wanted students who organized the demonstrations against the government back in the spring of 1989,” he recalled. “But I managed to get away from them and I was smuggled into Hong Kong.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees arranged for him and a number of other fugitive Chinese students to be settled in America. He was flown to Seattle to begin a new life at age 25.
“I described myself [as] half dead when I arrived in America because of what had happened to me, during that democracy movement,” he recalled.
He remembers being beyond exhausted both physically and mentally.
“I had nightmares every day, [the] same dreams of escape from the police, running from the police,” he remembered. “It was a very, very difficult time, but I was determined to rebuild myself, go to school, get my degrees, and work at the same time to support myself. And that’s not easy. “
He and a number of fellow refugees then proceeded down to Los Angeles and the biggest Chinese Buddhist temple outside China. The food there was plentiful, but exclusively vegetarian.
“After like two weeks, some of us couldn’t bear it anymore,” he recalled.
He moved on to the First Unitarian Church in Berkeley, where he was assisted by people as kind as those at the temple in Los Angeles, who were as kind as those who had helped him in Hong Kong. But he could not wait to start working and supporting himself. He started at a Chinese restaurant.
“I was a busboy even though I spoke pretty good English at that time,” he remembered. “The position of a waiter is coveted… because you get tips.”
The hours were long and he had still not recovered from the ordeal that forced him to flee his homeland.
“I was just very tired at the end of the day,” he recalled “in bed, I was thinking, ‘What is democracy? What could I do for China?’ laying here half dead, dead tired, in America.”
But he reminded himself that he was taking the first steps toward a new future, however small the wages. He was making his own living and was even able to send some money to his parents in China.
“I was happily making $4.75 per hour,” he recalled. “I was very happy.”
He was unable to get his university transcripts from China, but Cal State Hayward allowed him to enroll in its MBA Program on the strength of his standardized test scores. He aced all his classes, even statistics.
“Nobody aces statistics,” he recalled. “I was a very good student.”
He proved it again at UC Law Hastings, now UC Law San Francisco. He passed the Bar in November of 1998 and joined another attorney in opening their own firm, Inter-Pacific Law. He initially specialized in immigration, but expanded his practice to include everything from civil litigation to criminal cases to divorce.
In 2005, Alysa was born. She, like all of his children, came via an anonymously donated egg fertilized with his sperm and implanted in a surrogate mothers. He had a second child, Selina, two years later and decided to have one more. He then got a surprise.
“Triplets,” he said. “Julia, Joshua and Justin.”
He added, ”I was so busy. Imagine having five children under four years [old] and I personally fed them, changed diapers, gave them baths, sent them to school.”
He was assisted by his ex-wife, Qingxin Yan. And his super, super nice mother traveled from China to assist, complete with her laugh. There was also a nanny at the start.
“I had a lot of help,” he allowed. “But I was the main provider of care for those children. And so I was super tired.”
He drove his crew around in a 11 seat passenger van, snacking to stay awake at the wheel.
His office happened to be two blocks from the Oakland Ice Center. Alyssa was five when she started skating there and it seemed like nothing but pure fun.
At 13, Alysa became the youngest national champion figure skater ever and she continued to win, win, win until all that mattered was the skating itself and what she brought to it.
“She really doesn’t care about matters and placements because she has had so much success at a very young age,” Liu said. “She’s just having fun, and getting everybody to enjoy what she can do.”
She was preparing for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing at 16, when three FBI agents met with Liu at a Starbucks near his office. The agents told him that he and Alysa were among the targets of a Chinese government spy operation of intimidation and harassment.
“I was like, ‘Wow!’” Liu recalled,
He was not particularly alarmed for himself.
”I’ve always felt like if they wanted to do harm to me, they can do it any time,” he told the Daily Beast. “I can’t prevent it.”
But even the chance that Alysa could be harmed prompted him to move her from California to Colorado. Alysa was initially just amazed that a 16-year-old California ice skater would be the subject of a Chinese espionage operation.
“‘I was like, ‘Am I like in some prank show?’” Alysa later said. “But, I mean, it was like it made sense to me, you know, from like everything my dad did back in his activist days.’”
Liu does not believe that the Chinese spying distracted Alysa and caused her to go without a medal at the Winter Olympics in February of 2022. But the move to Colorado separated her from her family and Liu wonders if it influenced her decision to announce two months later that she was retiring from competitive skating. She said that she missed her family and wanted to have a more ”normal” life. She also said skating had come to feel less fun and more like something she had to do.
At the approach of this year’s Olympics, she had regained her love for skating and made it known she intended to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics. The refugee’s daughter seemed to have become joy itself as she skated with her individual gold medal, the Stars and Stripes resplendent on her shoulders.
And to the millions of Americans who saw her, she brought union to an otherwise divided Union.
“What I heard is that the left and the right and the independent they all embraced her, which is great,” Liu told the Daily Beast. “She’s a very charming young lady who won two medals from the Olympic games, so she has some magic.”
He added, “MAGA loves her…What’s not to love about her? She is a pride of America."
Liu returned from the Olympics on Saturday and was of course back at his office when he spoke to The Daily Beast on Sunday.
“Getting organized, looking at my schedule for tomorrow and the week, you know, just to be prepared,” he said. “And a client just showed up at the door.”
That client is seeking a divorce, but there are others in immigration who give Liu cause for concern about the behavior of our own government.
“My clients are complaining how bad it is and some of them need medical assistance and they are not receiving proper care,” he said.
Despite Alysa’s magic, the memory of his previous life under tyranny causes Liu to worry for the state of the union presently led by a divisive president determined to bend the world to his will.
“With my experience, I fear for democracy,” he said. “We’ll see what Trump does in the next few years.”
He added, “Hopefully, he doesn’t send me back to China.”
“We’ll see what Trump does in the next few years,” Liu said.
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谷愛凌二、三事 ---- Jennifer Lenhart
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Olympian Eileen Gu’s Birth Certificate Revealed Amid Her Refusal to Reveal Her American Dad’s Identity (Exclusive)
Jennifer Lenhart, 02/26/26
Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu was undoubtedly one of the biggest stars of this year’s games, but her decision to compete for China instead of her native U.S. sparked criticism.
Gu, 22, was born and raised by a single mother, Chinese native Yan Gu, in San Francisco, and has long refused to speak about her American father, who has been described as a Harvard graduate by Chinese media, per The New York Times.
His identity remains a mystery.
The National Enquirer has exclusively obtained Gu’s birth certificate — which shows that Gu was born on September 3, 2003, at California Pacific Medical Center — and the space designated for the father’s name is blank.
Mega 《出生證明》照片
The athlete, who grew up in a mansion in the affluent Sea Cliff enclave overlooking the Golden Gate bridge with her venture capitalist mother and her grandmother, often visited relatives in Beijing in the summers, according to The New York Times.
When she was 15, Gu, who is fluent in Mandarin, decided to switch allegiances to China in competitions, and has since won two World Championships and multiple Olympic medals for the other country.
At the Milan Cortina Winter Games, Gu won gold in the halfpipe and two silver medals, bringing her career Olympic total to six medals in six events.
She previously secured two gold medals and one silver at the Beijing Games, cementing her status as the most decorated freeskier in Olympic history.
She’s also one of the richest. Gu earned $23 million in endorsements last year, according to Sportico, via the Wall Street Journal. She and Zhu Yi, an American-born figure skater who also competes for China, were also paid a combined $14 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in over the past three years for their contributions to sport, according to a February 13 report in the Wall Street Journal.
Gu’s connections to China have long raised eyebrows. Her mother declined to speak with The New York Times in 2022 over concerns about how any political questions might be interpreted in her homeland. Gu also declined to comment on her citizenship status, the outlet reported, noting that while there is no official record of her relinquishing her American citizenship, China does not allow dual citizenship.
Vice President JD Vance was among those who publicly addressed the controversy, telling Fox News in an interview that he hoped someone who had grown up in America would “want to compete with the United States.”
“I’m flattered. Thanks, JD! That’s sweet,” Gu said of Vance’s comments, per USA Today.
“So many athletes compete for a different country,” she told the outlet. “People only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So it’s not really about what they think it’s about.”
“And also, because I win,” she continued. “Like if I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me. People are entitled to their opinions.”
Gu has previously told The Athletic she was “physically assaulted” for her decision to represent China while attending college at Stanford University. “The police were called. I’ve had death threats. I’ve had my dorm robbed. I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever.”
“I am proud of my heritage,” she wrote on Instagram in 2019, “and equally proud of my American upbringings.”
Read More From National Enquirer
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This story Olympian Eileen Gu’s Birth Certificate Revealed Amid Her Refusal to Reveal Her American Dad’s Identity (Exclusive) first appeared on National Enquirer. Add National Enquirer as a Preferred Source by clicking here
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劉美賢就是要「做自己」 ---- Kelby Vera
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A carefree, joyous, gold-medal performance proves it: There’s no one in figure skating like Alysa Liu
本部落格刊登過很多篇「做人就得要做自己」的文章；請參見此欄和此欄。
Alysa Liu Is Do-It-Your-Way Goals After Gliding Her Way To Gold
Fans raved about the star's Olympics return, calling her an example of what can go right when you chart your own course.
Kelby Vera, 02/19/26
Olympian Alysa Liu wasn’t the only one glowing after her gold medal win in women’s figure skating in Milan on Thursday.
The 20-year-old Bay Area native knew she had nailed it as she wrapped a near-flawless free skate set to Donna Summer and was heard saying, “That’s what I’m fucking talking about!” as she left the ice.
Her feisty exit embodied much of Liu’s return to ice skating after hanging up her skates at 16 years old back in 2022.
At the time, Liu, who started skating at age 5 and became the youngest person to win the U.S. national championship when she was 13, said she had achieved her figure skating goals and was ready to be “moving on with [her] life.”
Alysa Liu had fans calling her an inspiration after she won gold in women's figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games on Thursday.
Qian Jun/MB Media via Getty Images 照片
When Liu announced she was coming back to the ice in March 2024, the athlete said she would be doing things on her own terms, telling US Figure Skating it was “liberating” to be the one finally calling the shots.
Since then, her charisma, unique style and on-the-rink poise have made her a fan favorite.
So Olympics-watchers were thrilled to celebrated Liu as a tale of what can go right when you chart your own course.
Embracing the skater’s be-true-to-you energy online, one person on X wrote, “Can Alysa Liu sell that joy in a bottle? I’ll buy and drink it every day.”
“Therapist: what’s your mental health goal?” another posted. “me: Alysa Liu calm.”
"Can Alysa Liu sell that joy in a bottle? I’ll buy and drink it every day," one person said of the skater online.
Jamie Squire via Getty Images 照片
“The concept of alysa liu retiring, re-finding her love for the sport, coming back on her own terms, and then winning an olympic medal,” someone else wrote.
“Alysa liu just yolo’d her way to being the olympic champion,” another fan cheered. (yolo：You only live once)
“Not only is Alysa Liu showing others competing on your own time by your own rules ends in success, she is ALSO showing all the weird and expressive kids you don’t have to fit yourself into a box in order to live your dreams,” one post declared.
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谷愛凌：假議題的當紅案例 -- Eddie Pells
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Eileen Gu finds gold on the halfpipe to make it 6 medals in 6 Olympic events over her career
At halfpipe, neither US-born Olympic medal favorite competes for U.S. Eileen Gu takes the heat
EDDIE PELLS, 02/21/26
Milan Cortina Olympics Freestyle Skiing
China's Eileen Gu takes photos with attendees after the women's freestyle skiing halfpipe qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) 照片
LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — The two best bets to win the gold medal in women's halfpipe skiing at the Winter Olympics were born in the United States.
Zoe Atkin competes for Britain and hardly anyone raises a fuss about it.
Eileen Gu competes for China and never hears the end of it.
Stories of athletes who lived in one country then decided to compete for another are nothing new to international sports. Throw some Olympic rings on it, then add a high-profile athlete enjoying tremendous success the way Gu has, and it turns into someting messy, even political.
“So many athletes compete for a different country," Gu said after Thursday night's qualifying put her in the mix for her third medal of these Games. “People only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So it’s not really about what they think it’s about.”
She was responding to a question stemming from the latest comments that drew her into the headlines: U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance told Fox News earlier in the week he would hope someone who benefitted from growing up in the United States, the way Gu has, would want to compete under its flag.
None of this is new to the 22-year-old Bay Area native, who recognizes she absorbs her share of vitriol not just because she competes for her mother's homeland, but also because of her success both on and off the snow.
Not long after the Olympics are over, Gu will be back in Milan attending a fashion show.
Before that, on Saturday, she will be going for her sixth Olympic medal and trying to make it 3 for 3 at two straight Games. That's something no one else has done since the addition of big air to the program four years ago gave freestyle skiing a third head-over-heels event in the snowpark.
“Like, if I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me," she said.
After the Olympics, action sports stop caring about countries so much
The Olympic charter says athletes must be a “national” -- a word similar to citizen but with different legal connotations -- of a country to compete for it. Athletes who are nationals of more than one country have to go through a “cooling-off” period if they want to switch, though neither Gu nor Atkin have changed over their Olympic careers.
It is not a surprise: Athletes in freeskiing and snowboarding — two lifestyle sports that champion individuality and are cultivated at X Games, Dew Tours and Burton U.S. Opens where nary a flag can be seen — spend most of their time traveling the globe caring very little about countries or anthems.
“We’re all going to the same place, all traveling together,” said Nick Goepper, the American three-time medalist who competes for his home country. “There’s 25 guys who do this at a high level across the world and it’s better to hang out and mingle with each other, just like people do.”
Besides Vance's comments, a newspaper report about a 2025 document showing the Chinese government funded Gu and another of its athletes to the tune of millions drew headlines at these Olympics. Gu never mentions money when she discusses her reasons for choosing China, instead saying she did it to increase visibility and bring more girls into a sport that wasn't as developed in China as it is in the United States.
“I’ve never received criticism from anybody in the ski industry about any of these decisions,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press last month. “But that’s because I’m friends with all of them.”
Atkin, from Massachusetts, made a choice that flew under the radar
Atkin has enjoyed plenty of success but faces none of the same issues. She is a Massachusetts native who has held dual citizenship since birth. (Gu's citizenship status is another source of constant conjecture, though she has never revealed it.) Atkin's father is British. Like Gu, Atkin attends Stanford.
The 23-year-old, who won last year's world championship, has competed for Britain her entire career. She explained its smaller team has afforded her a chance to train and compete at a pace that works well for her.
“It also has a lot to do with my family and I guess I don't really care what anybody else thinks," she said. "Obviously, we compete for our nation, but at the end of the day, this is an individual sport and I'm trying to do my best show and my best skiing. To me, that's all it's really about.”
Somewhere between Gu and Atkin sits Gus Kenworthy — the halfpipe skier who got famous at the Olympics when he competed for the United States, then kept his career going by signing on with Britain.
He took some flak when he swtiched teams. One reason he did it was because of the perennial depth of the U.S. team. This year, the U.S. placed all four of its men in Friday night's final and left two others with top-10 rankings — including two-time gold and one-time silver medalist David Wise — at home.
“You could be the fifth best person in America, ranked seventh in the world, and still not make the team,” said Kenworthy, who won the silver medal in 2014. “It's great to have all these different countries represented. But sometimes it sucks to be in that position, and I've been in that position.”
That's not the only math that changes when the action-sports world gets tossed into the deep end at the Olympics.
As Gu says frequently and said again Thursday, “people are entitled to their opinions.”
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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