Chen wins long-sought prize

World champion adds Olympic gold to his figure skating honors by pushing hard

Three-time figure skating world champion and now Olympic gold medalist Nathan Chen strapped on his first pair of skates aged three after watching his two older brothers play ice hockey. His parents, Chinese immigrants Hetty Wang and Chen Zhidong, got him figure skates instead — and changed the course of the sport in the process.

The 22-year-old American on Feb 10 upstaged reigning champion Yuzuru

Hanyu at the Beijing Games to claim the only major prize that had eluded him, an Olympic gold medal.

Chen’s route to China, where he still has relatives, was a story of determination.

“Even if a great skate happens or a bad skate happens, I don’t think wholesale changes should occur,” Chen said before winning Olympic gold. “Stick to your strengths, stick to what you know how to do, keep pushing forward.”

Chen became the first skater to hit five different quadruple-spin jumps in competition, landing a quad toe loop, Salchow, flip, loop and Lutz.

The number and variety of quad jumps Chen can work into a routine brings a dynamic that few rivals can match, provided Chen performs them with his typical near-flawless precision.

At the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics,

Chen helped the US take a team bronze medal, but struggled in his short program and was 17th before delivering an unprecedented six quad jumps in his free skate which helped him finish fifth overall.

After that experience, Chen won his next 13 competitions over more than three years. That win streak was snapped last October at Skate America, when Chen settled for third behind countryman Vincent Zhou and Japan’s Shoma Uno.

Chen responded with victories at Skate Canada and the 2022 US championships, claiming his sixth national crown — the longest run since Dick Button won his seventh straight title in 1952.

On Feb 10, he performed to Rocket Man by Elton John and lived up to his nickname “Quad King” as he landed five quadruple jumps.