By Sophia Herndon

The Maryland Figure Skating Club at the University of Maryland is feeling inspired and motivated by American Generation Z skaters as the Winter Olympic Games come to a close.

“As skaters, we all have favorites that we want to win,” said junior physiology and neurobiology major Tracy Ly.

Ly is both a skater and the social chair for the Maryland Figure Skating team. She followed many of the skating events in the Olympics.

Sophomore marketing major Jenna Hauer said she has given most of her attention to Alysa Liu, a 20-year-old American Olympian, for most of the games. Hauer, who has experience in competitive skating and is the vice president of the club team, is inspired by Liu’s story.

After becoming a skating sensation at a young age, Liu retired from skating at 16. After two years of being off the ice, she made a sudden comeback. She became the 2025 world champion and competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Ly explained that Liu has prioritized her mental health and is now skating for her own joy. Liu has discussed her journey with the media and has gone viral on internet platforms such as TikTok.

“You can tell she’s actually enjoying skating, and she’s doing it for herself,” Ly said. “That definitely speaks to a lot of people.”

Maryland Figure Skaters showed appreciation for Liu’s resilience and fearlessness as a young skater.

“I think it’s so admirable that she’s doing it for the love of the sport,” Hauer said.

Hauer herself dropped out of competitive skating to pursue collegiate skating and understands Liu’s departure. 

“It was a scary moment to leave that competitive career behind. I know that looking at her two years away from competition, it’s still possible,” Hauer said.

Junior accounting major Vlad Volkov, the club vice president, explained how Liu’s song choice has brought in a younger audience of skaters. For her short program, Liu performed to music by Laufey, a popular Icelandic artist among teens.

“She does a really good job at interpreting the music,” Volkov said about Liu’s performances.

Laufey and Liu have both shown support for each other through the Olympics, and fans enjoy watching the performances to Laufey’s music. 

“She has that cool girl attitude,” Ly said about Liu. “Her skating feels like a breath of fresh air.”

Hauer explained that both Liu and American figure skater Ilia Malinin have “put their heart” into their skating, rather than focusing on judges’ expectations. This is something a lot of young skaters appreciate and can learn from.

Malinin is a 21-year-old figure skater from Virginia who is known for his impressive backflips and quadruple jumps. He has been referred to as the “quad god” and has become a Gen Z favorite. 

“He is so revolutionary towards the sport, and we were excited to see what he could do and bring to the Olympics,” Ly said.

Volkov trained at the same rink as Malinin in the DMV and would see his dedication every day on the ice. 

“That was really motivating to me to actually see how he did it in person,” Volkov said.

Volkov explained that the figure skating sport is a close-knit community. Everyone is constantly motivating one another to be their best, and they are always showing support for each other.

As Gen Z athletes take on the spotlight at the Olympics, young skaters across the country continue to feel inspired by their dedication and resilience.

Featured Image: UMD figure skater Tracy Ly glides on the ice at the club’s winter recital on Dec. 7, 2025. Photo by Sophia Herndon.