The brother of Olympic gold medalist figure skater Alysa Liu has sparked controversy after transitioning and competing in girls’ sports, where he has racked up a series of top finishes across California high school athletic events.
Jaylin Liu, who reportedly went by Joshua before identifying as female, has been competing on girls’ track and field teams for both Albany High School and El Cerrito High School in California.
Since joining girls’ events during the 2025 season, Liu reportedly took eight separate first-place finishes at seasonal meets and secured a gold medal in the 2025 Tri-County Athletic League Frosh-Soph Championship 200-meter race.
During the 2026 track season, Liu has continued to dominate the competition, sweeping first place in every 200-meter and 400-meter girls’ race entered for Albany, including a top finish at the Tri-County Athletic League Finals in May.
In addition to track and field, Liu has reportedly participated in girls’ varsity basketball and ultimate frisbee.
Playing for El Cerrito High School at the Ultimate High School National Invite in Oregon, Liu was praised during tournament coverage for an ‘extremely dominant’ performance on the field.’
Jaylin Liu, the brother of Olympic gold medalist figure skater Alysa Liu, has sparked controversy after transitioning and competing in girls’ sports
In addition to track and field, Jaylin has participated in girls’ basketball and ultimate frisbee
The revelations surrounding Liu’s participation in female athletics have drawn swift pushback from women’s sports advocacy organizations.
‘The Liu family represents two opposing forces: the pinnacle of excellence in female sports and, at the same time, a profound threat to the integrity of those sports,’ Marshi Smith of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports told Reduxx.
‘Alysa’s achievements are the result of years of dedication and hard work beginning in childhood. By contrast, her brother’s recent personal ambitions threaten to undermine the same developmental pathways that so many girls depend on to blaze their own trails to greatness.’
A representative from independent tracking platform HeCheated noted that the situation places female family members in a difficult spot.
‘Rules allowing boys into girls’ sports often put female athletes who may have male family members, like Alysa, in an impossible position where their loyalties are torn and they are forced to choose between supporting female athletes and fairness in athletics or a beloved family member who they love,’ the spokesperson said.
‘Firm rules protecting the female category puts the responsibility of saying no to these boys on athletic officials rather than young women and girls.’
Despite Jaylin maintaining a low social media profile regarding his famous sibling, he was present in Milan during the Winter Olympic Games to cheer Alysa on from the sidelines alongside their father, Arthur Liu.
The fallout surrounding Liu’s inclusion in girls’ high school athletics comes as the national debate over transgender participation in women’s sports reaches a boiling point across professional athletics – most notably within the WNBA.
Jaylin and Alysa pictured together back in October 2025
Alysa Liu is the 2026 Olympic champion in the women’s singles and team events on the ice
The league has found itself at the center of fierce public debate in recent weeks following controversial remarks from Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.
Cunningham recently publicly called for restrictions to ‘protect young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.’
Cunningham’s stance has drawn sharp divisions across the league, with fans split between cheering and booing her at recent road games.
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve made a statement of her own on Sunday by wearing a ‘Trans Kids Belong’ t-shirt on the sidelines against the Fever.
