“Am just elated” – American figure skater Nathan Chen sets world record in short program at Beijing Olympics
Follow Us
Nathan Chen
Star figure skater from The USA, Nathan Chen made the statement on the ice with his spellbinding performance on Tuesday. The 22-year-old scored a world record 113.97 in the short program at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games
He was a far cry from his disappointing performance at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. His recent show included a quad flip, a triple axel and a quad lutz-triple toe-loop combo.
“I’m just elated. Last Olympics, both short programs didn’t go the way that I wanted, and finally getting the opportunity to skate the program the way that I wanted — it feels really great, it means a lot,” Chen told NBC after the skate.
“Every opportunity that I get at competitions is one that I should be grateful for — and especially the Olympics, that’s a completely different story,” he added. “I’m just really happy to be here.”
“Focus on what I can do, try to do the best”
Chen’s mind-blowing score broke the previous world record of 111.82 set in 2020 by two-time Olympic defending champion Yuzuru Hanyu. However, the Japanese had a forgettable outing this time as an uncharacteristic error early in the routine left him in eighth with a score of 95.15.
In another media interview, the Utah native Chen talked about the challenge ahead of him. He also reckoned that despite Hanyu’s mistake boosting his chances yet he took nothing for granted.
“When I heard that [Hanyu’s score], I [thought], ‘Stick to my game plan, nothing changes, focus on what I can do, try to do the best that I can,'” Chen said.
“You certainly can’t ever count him out. He’s a two-time Olympic champion for a reason. Also, no matter what he does in the future, he will always, always be a true figure skating icon, one of the greatest ever, if not the greatest ever.”
Also Read | WATCH – US skier Nina O’Brien faces horrible crash at Beijing Olympics
Stay Updated!
Sachin Arora
(2527 Articles Published)