Alysa Liu, Noah Lyles among Olympians on 2026 Time 100 Most Influential list

Olympic gold medalists Alysa Liu, Noah Lyles, Hilary Knight, Chloe Kim and Scottie Scheffler made the 2026 Time 100 Most Influential list . Traditionally, Time 100 listees have been based on factors including relevance, impact, innovation, leadership, ambition and success. At least one Olympian made the list every year since its annual inception in 2004.

Liu, who won individual and team figure skating gold in Milan, made the list in the "Icons" category, along with Kim, who won snowboard halfpipe silver at the Milan Cortina Games after taking gold in 2018 and 2022. "How can someone be so casual about being the best in the world? " former Saturday Night Live cast member Bowen Yang wrote of Liu .

"That’s for Alysa Liu to know and the rest of us to witness in a screaming frenzy. She’s flipped her ponytail after finishing a historic program that won her an Olympic gold medal for figure skating. She’s shrugged off inane questions while sending a song to the top of the charts.

She’s somehow made her triumphs feel unsentimental to herself but meaningful to everyone else. " Olympic gymnastics gold medalist wrote that Kim, who also made the Time 100 in 2018, "makes effort look cool. " "Any athlete who has competed at the highest level knows how much work goes into moments that look effortless from the outside," Lee wrote.