U.S. champion Nathan Chen‘s path to PyeongChang this season began Thursday night on the Salt Lake City ice rink where he first learned to skate.
The 18-year-old topped the short program at the lower-level U.S. International Classic with 91.80 points.
He attempted one quad versus his normal two as he eases into the most pressure-filled campaign of his young career against a field that does not include Olympic medal favorites.
“Obviously there’s more media, there’s a lot more talk going around,” said Chen, who since last season’s world championships has worked with sponsors Bridgestone, Coca-Cola anad United Airlines.