Yahoo Sports · Feb 8, 2022
Nathan Chen's record-breaking short program skate sets him on path to Olympic gold
Nathan Chen had waited four years to redeem a disappointing Olympic performance. Then, as he waited to take the ice Tuesday in Beijing, his chief rival, Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu, underperformed in his short program.
That meant, suddenly more than ever, the men’s individual competition and the gold medal Chen covets was his for the taking.
So he went out and took a big step toward taking it.
Chen, a 22-year-old out of Salt Lake City, delivered a record-breaking, high-flying, high-energy performance to post a whopping 113.97 points for his short program. He is firmly in first place heading into the free skate, which will take place Thursday morning in Beijing (Wednesday Night in the United States).