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Alysa Liu, Hilary Knight among biggest sports names on Time's 100 most influential list after dominant Olympics
TL;DR
Alysa Liu and Hilary Knight were recognized on Time's 100 most influential list following their standout performances at the 2026 Olympics. Liu, a breakout star, won a gold medal and gained significant media attention for her personality and subsequent appearances.
Alysa Liu, Hilary Knight among biggest sports names on Time's 100 most influential list after dominant Olympics
Alysa Liu captivated the Olympics audience with a fantastic gold-medal skate at the 2026 Milan Cortina games. She was unapologetically herself during and after her celebration, turning in a NSFW moment while still on the ice.
That performance — and Liu’s personality — made her one of the biggest names on Time’s list of the top 100 most influential people in the world. Time released its list Wednesday, which featured Liu and fellow winter Olympians Hilary Knight and Chloe Kim.
Kim and Knight were well known prior to the 2026 Games, making Liu the true breakout star of the event. In the wake of her gold-medal win, Liu appeared in a music video and presented an award to Taylor Swift. It’s been quite the star turn for the 20-year-old Liu, who still has plenty of time to rack up more Olympic medals before calling it a career.
It was the opposite for Knight, who said prior to the 2026 Winter Olympics that it would be her final time competing in the games. But a truly exceptional run by Knight, which saw her break Team USA records for most goals, points and Olympics hockey appearances, had her potentially reconsidering that stance after a gold-medal win. When asked whether she scored her last Olympic goal following Team USA’s gold-medal victory, Knight simply said, “We’ll see.”
Kim, similarly, was already an established star heading into the 2026 Games. The 25-year-old was coming off two straight gold-medal performances in the halfpipe at the previous two Olympics. She wasn’t able to make it a threepeat, though did pick up a silver medal in the event in 2026. She’s already considered among the best Olympic snowboarders of all-time.
Those three weren’t the only athletes represented on Time’s top-100 list. Summer Olympian Noah Lyles, golfer Scottie Scheffler and F1 driver Lando Norris also earned spots on the list.
Lyles is already well-established, taking home three Olympic medals in his career as a track and field star. Scheffler has won three of the four major golf events, taking home wins in the PGA Championship and Open Championship in 2025. Norris won the World Drivers' Championship last year.
Q&A
What did Alysa Liu achieve at the 2026 Olympics?
Alysa Liu won a gold medal at the 2026 Olympics, becoming a standout performer and a breakout star of the event.
Why is Alysa Liu considered influential in 2026?
Alysa Liu is considered influential due to her captivating Olympic performance and her unapologetic personality, which resonated with audiences and led to her inclusion in Time's 100 most influential list.
Who else from the Olympics was named in Time's 100 most influential list?
Alongside Alysa Liu, Hilary Knight and Chloe Kim were also featured on Time's 100 most influential list after their performances at the 2026 Olympics.
