Being a college athlete is hard enough but competing for a spot on an Olympic team is beyond tiring. No one knows this better than Dinh Tran, a second-year engineering student at Long Beach State.
Tran’s knowledge of the sport ties back to the teachings of his major. His focus on mobility, gravity and force are what help him complete every jump, spin and land on the ice. It’s this knowledge that is helping him perfect his quad jump.
His skating endeavor began when he was only four years old when Tran accompanied his mother, Mimi Haong, and one of his older brothers to a birthday party in San Francisco.
Tran said he could not recall who was hosting the party but knew that it was his brother’s friend. What made this party significant to Tran was that it was held at an ice skating rink.
“I was skating around and the ice guard noticed that I was not bad and offered to help me and I accepted this offer,” Tran said. “At that time, the ice guard saw that I also had potential, so she found a coach, who then found a sponsor for me.”
Tran’s earliest competition was at the 2013 Juvenile Central Pacific Regionals where he placed first. Since 2013, he has gone to compete in tournaments including the U.S. Intermediate Championships and the Junior Grand Prix. Throughout his youth, his mother became his biggest support.
“I am super proud. I always talk to [my son], I encourage him. I always tell him ‘mom is right here,’” Haong said.
He enrolled at CSULB in 2020, initially, as a computer science major, but his love for Formula 1 racing influenced him to switch to mechanical and aerospace engineering. Tran says he puts his knowledge of engineering into his skating.
“There is a lot of physics in figure skating; when you take off, when you land. When you land you do have that force of about seven times your bodyweight…so there’s also that physical aspect on the body and how the force takes place on your joints,” said Tran.
Tran put his knowledge to the test when he tried out for a spot on the 2022 U.S Olympic figure skating national team. A committee selection picks the top three competitors to take to the Olympics. Tran placed eighth, behind gold medalist Nathan Chen.
“Eighth for me may sound close, but it’s actually pretty far from being on the team. Even though you do end up being on the Olympic team, there is always room to improve and even though I’m happy with my placement, there is a lot of room for improvement,” said Tran.
Like other student-athletes, Tran’s daily routine isn’t an easy one. Residing in Irvine, Tran’s day takes him to CSULB in the mornings where he attends classes followed by a one hour and a half skating practice at night. Tran says some nights are tougher than others.
“When I do go to skate, I have that skating mentality and sometimes when I have to go to school right away, it’s hard for me to make that switch because I’m still so focused on skating. But I also need to remember that I need to focus on school,” said Tran.
Aside from skating, Tran is now focusing on his passion for Formula 1 and learning 3-D modeling of cars to improve speed and performance. He is currently seeking internship opportunities to get his foot in the door in the industry. Tran also has set his mind to working with Aston Martin and Mercedes Benz.
Tran’s eyes are now set on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
“For everyone around me it seems like I’m accomplishing a lot, but in my perspective I don’t feel like I’m accomplishing enough. I always want to get better at things. I want to be good in athletics, I want to be good in school. It’s never enough.”