Nathan Chen, of the United States, competes during the men’s short program figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
BEIJING (AP) — U.S. figure skater Nathan Chen wins the gold medal at the Beijing Games, following up his record short program with a near-perfect free skate and finishing a four-year journey of redemption. He is the seventh man to win gold for the United States in men’s singles skating, according to the Olympic website.
“It means the world. I’m just so happy,” Chen said following the win, adding there were “too many emotions to process.”
The win is a reprieve for Chen, who gave a disappointing performance at the Pyeongchang Games in 2018, landing fifth in the individual competition, though leaving with a bronze medal in the team event.
In the four years since, the 22-year-old Yale student has lost just once, last year at Skate America, since a poor short program at the Pyeongchang Games dashed his medal chances there. Chen has won three straight world titles since, his sixth national championship last month and, as if offended by that lone defeat, came back the next week to win Skate Canada.
Chen also holds the world record for his 2020 program at the Grand Prix Final.