American · Salt Lake City, USA · Born 5 May 1999American figure skater who became Olympic champion in 2022 and revolutionized men's skating with his quadruple jump mastery and technical innovation.
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 5, 1999, to a Chinese mother and white American father, Nathan Chen began skating at age three after watching his older siblings on the ice. His family relocated to California when he was young, where he trained extensively while maintaining exceptional academic performance. Chen balanced his skating career with rigorous studies, eventually enrolling at Yale University in 2018 to pursue statistics while competing at the elite level. Chen's breakthrough came during the 2017-2018 season when he established himself as the sport's premier technical talent. At the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, despite a disastrous short program that left him in 17th place, he delivered a historic free skate featuring six quadruple jumps—the most ever attempted in Olympic competition—to finish fifth overall. This performance marked the beginning of his dominance in men's figure skating. He subsequently won three consecutive World Championships (2018, 2019, 2021) and claimed six straight U.S. national titles from 2017 to 2022. The pinnacle of Chen's career arrived at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where he delivered flawless performances in both the short program and free skate to claim Olympic gold. His technical mastery, particularly his ability to consistently execute multiple types of quadruple jumps within a single program, fundamentally transformed competitive men's skating. Chen became the first skater to successfully land five different quadruple jump types in competition, setting numerous scoring records throughout his career. Chen's impact extends beyond his medal collection. His integration of unprecedented technical difficulty with increasingly sophisticated artistry elevated the sport's standards and inspired a new generation of skaters to pursue similar technical ambitions. His academic achievements at Yale, where he graduated with honors while competing internationally, demonstrated the possibility of balancing elite athletic performance with intellectual pursuits. Chen's legacy lies in redefining the technical boundaries of men's figure skating while proving that artistic and academic excellence could coexist with athletic dominance.
First skater to land five quadruple jumps in a single program
How They Played
Technical powerhouse known for multiple quadruple jumps and athletic precision
Lasting Impact
Revolutionized men's figure skating through quadruple jump mastery and raised technical standards
Career Honours
- Olympic Champion 2022
- World Champion 2018, 2019, 2021
- US National Champion 2017-2022
American Athletes