US star Nathan Chen balances life, figure skating glory
Nathan Chen mostly goes unnoticed when he strolls through the picturesque campus of Yale, and the few times he can recall being recognized happened months ago during his freshman orientation.
That’s because just about everyone who attends the prestigious Ivy League school is exceptional in some way, whether they happen to be brilliant at science, a mathematical whiz or handy with words.
Or in Chen’s case, a worldclass athlete.
“It’s actually been really low key,” Chen said in a phone interview with The Associated Press from Vancouver, British Colombia, where he will defend his Grand Prix Final title beginning Thursday night.
“What I’ve done is pretty cool,” Chen said, “but everyone at Yale has done something cool.”
Maybe so. But just look at what the 19-year-old from Salt Lake City has accomplished over the past year: Chen followed his Grand Prix Final triumph with a national championship, then helped the U.S. win team bronze at the Pyeongchang Olympics. After a disappointing short program in the individual competition, he proceeded to land five clean quads in his free skate to vault to a fifth-place finish.
Then he headed to Italy, where he won both the short and free programs while becoming only the second skater behind twotime and reigning Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu to eclipse 320 total points.