United States Figure Skating

Watch: Nathan Chen Kicks Off Record-Breaking Short Program in Style

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

United States figure skater Nathan Chen came into the short program hoping to erase the memories of 2018, and he wrote an entirely new narrative as he set a world record with his score in the event.

Chen, who stumbled in the short program during the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, served notice to the world that he was at the top of his game during his routine, and he started it all with a stellar quad flip:

Chen ultimately took the top spot in the short program with a flourish, scoring a world-record 113.97 for his performance. That number bested his previous record of 111.71, which he set during the figure skating team event earlier in the Olympics.

The 22-year-old currently leads Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama heading into Thursday’s free skate, with Shoma Uno in third.

Chen’s U.S. teammate Jason Brown finished in sixth with his short program, posting a personal-best mark of 97.24.

Contact Us