Alysa Liu's homecoming celebration was amazing in Oakland

More than 4,000 fans came downtown for the figure skating Olympics, including Oakland athletes and musicians.

Fans of Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu began lining up at Frank Ogawa Plaza Thursday morning to give the skater who has become a global superstar a shot.Almost every sports team in the Bay Area, from the Valkyries to the Roots, has given him a custom jersey.

Mayor Barbara Lee presented Hugh with a key to the city in the shape of an oak tree, made by artists at The Crucible, an artist center and school in West Oakland.Liu was one of a handful of locals to receive the Oakland Key, including D'Wayne Wiggins, late founding member of R&B soul band Tony!Tony!Tone!;Frederica Newton, wife of Black Panther Party founder Huey P.Newton;And rapper Mista F.A.B.

When MC Sway Calloway asked Liu what one word would describe Oakland, he said, "Spirit" — and the crowd went crazy.

Liu is the first American woman in 24 years to win an Olympic gold medal in skiing.And she brought home two.Oakland's celebration began inside City Hall, in the council chamber, where Liu fielded questions from reporters and reflected on learning to find his newfound fame.

"Most people were very respectful, so I appreciated that," Liu said."But, well, I have to learn how to live and go about my day without stopping many times."

Liu also highlighted her Chinese heritage, her upbringing in Oakland and the importance of representation in the Olympics.

"I love being half Chinese, and both of my parents are actually full Chinese, so I grew up in a full Chinese family," she said."It shaped a lot of who I am today."

On the lawn in front of City Hall, Liu's family, fans, and elected officials kept the energy going despite the unusually warm weather.Oakland's D-Sharp, the official DJ of the Golden State Warriors, performed a setlist full of Bay Area classics, including Mac Dre, The Jacka, P-Lo, LaRussell, and more.

The rally, organized by Lee's office, Oakland city government and Visit Oakland, the city's tourism bureau, and organized by Oakland Venue Management, brought together a number of Oakland personalities eager to celebrate the gold medal.According to Lee's director of communications for Mayor Justin Phillips, Liu did not want to know the details of the rally ahead of time.

Calloway, a longtime MTV News anchor and journalist best known for her radio days at 106 KMEL, filled her MC role with love on The Town.

"There's nothing better in the world than Oakland, California," Calloway told the crowd as he took the stage.

Sway Rap-fire did a Q&A with Liu so people in the crowd - and those watching the live stream - could learn a little more about her.Liu said hip-hop is the music that gets her going before she steps on the ice.She talks about how much she loves eating at restaurants in Oakland Chinatown.She also said that she loves the view of Oakland from the hills, and she loves how many ghosts have come from OSA.

“Oakland is so creative,” she said."We have so much soul here and so many people who are so inspiring. We are so grounded. My friendships here are just the best. And I love, I love this place."

Bay Area rappers G-Eazy, P-Lo and Jwalt; figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic gold medalist; boxer Andre Ward, 2004 Olympic lightweight gold medalist; and Emmy Award-winning host and producer W. Kamau Bell made guest appearances to congratulate Liu.

"Oakland is the greatest city in the world, in the whole world," Bell said. "We're going to continue to create great things."

The first speaker was US Representative Latifah Simon.

"She's our hero," Simon said."She's an American hero. She took that word to Broadway. If you want something done, ask a young woman of color to do it."

The event was designed as a celebration of Oakland's youth.Fremont High School sent out its mighty drum line.Abayomi Lewis, a singer and "American Idol" semifinalist at Liu's alma mater, Oakland School of the Arts, performed Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park," which Liu played in her gold medal-winning routine.Lina Nguyen, a senior at Skyline High School in Oakland and leader of the All City Council Student Association, shared how Liu's journey and willingness to take risks and fail inspire her and other Oakland youth.

TURFinc dancers and dragon dancers also performed Shaolin Kung Fu in Oakland's Chinatown.

At the end of the ceremony, another Oakland School of the Arts student took the stage: Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Kehlani, a favorite of Liu's, cheering on a large group of OSA students at the edge of the stage.

Photographer Stephanie Gonzalez was on hand to capture it all for The Oaklandside.