Can you remember the last time a bronze medalist became the big story out of an Olympic event? Here’s one for you: During his post-race interview, Norway’s Sturla Holm Lægreid didn’t talk about the run he’d completed, which earned him the bronze medal in men’s biathlon. Instead, he chose to tell the world about how he cheated on his ex-girlfriend.
“I told her a week ago. And it’s been the worst week of my life,” Lægreid told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “Sports has taken a bit of a back seat these past couple of days. Yeah, I wish I could share this with her.”
Lægreid later apologized to the gold medalist and his ex-girlfriend, saying he deeply regretted sharing about his breakup, in a statement through the Norwegian Olympic team. He didn’t immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
His impulse, however, is a particularly Gen Z one. Was it a public display of accountability? Maybe. Was it classic oversharing at work? Definitely.
Gen Z has been in the Olympics since 2016, but this winter feels like the first Olympics where they are truly dominating the competition. The median age of Team USA at this year’s games is about 28. In banner sports like figure skating and snowboarding, the median age is closer to 23. The Gen Z energy is undeniable in how these athletes conduct themselves on the world stage. Whether it’s oversharing about their relationships, speaking out on politics, or using AI in performance, it’s the Gen Z Olympics, and we’re just watching it.
Some of Team USA’s most high-profile athletes are Gen Zers. Skating’s “Quad God” Ilia Malinin, 21, shares the same name as one of the main characters on the gay hockey romance show “Heated Rivalry,” a favorite of Gen Z lookalike competitions. On the women’s side, does anyone look more Gen Z than alt-girl figure skater Alysa Liu? With skunk stripe hair, tooth gems, and a frenulum piercing, she reps the alt scene that’s making a comeback with the youth.
Then there’s Liu’s teammate Amber Glenn, whose career follows Gen Z’s tendency toward late blooming. She’s making her Olympic debut at 26, which is slightly older than the typical age for female figure skaters. Liu and Isabeau Levito — the third US women’s figure skating teammate — are 20 and 18 years old, respectively.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Gen Z without a dash of political engagement and a public statement. Glenn, who is openly pansexual, directly addressed discrimination against the queer community under President Trump at a press conference on Feb. 4.
“I hope that I can use my platform and my voice throughout these Games to try to encourage people to stay strong,” Glenn told reporters.
When asked about the turmoil around ICE at a different press conference, members of the US ski team didn’t shy away from voicing their opinions, either. Hunter Hess, 27, talked about the “mixed emotions” of repping the US while ICE raids were happening at home.
“There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.,” Hess said.
The Olympics aren’t untouched by AI either — a Czech ice dancing pair used a music mix that was half AI-generated for their rhythm dance. It’s also not the first time that these skaters, who are 19 and 22 years old, have used AI music for a routine, which at least shows they’re pretty LLM-native and the Olympic Committee is okay with it.
If that grinds your gears a little, just be thankful Gen Alpha hasn’t hit the scene yet. Can you imagine how many celebratory 6-7s we’ll be subject to?
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