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The Quad King did it, and became the Olympic Champion he has always dreamed he’d be.
With a total score of 332.60, Nathan Chen became the fourth American male to be an Olympic gold medalist since 1984. He defeated the silver medalist Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama who had a 310.05 overall. It was his highest score ever and the highest of this season in figure skating.
What a Free Skate from Nathan Chen!
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 10, 2022
Nathan is AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/5dxRkPjLLW
Chen’s performance included five quadruple jumps, all to a medley of Elton John songs that showed both his personality and transcendent athleticism. Chen had already won three world championships, and until Skate America earlier this season, had not been defeated in professional competition since those Olympics.
The 22-year-old Yale undergraduate finished fifth in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, Chen owns the record for scores in the short program, free skate, and overall skate in this scoring format.
It’s the third goal medal for the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, and one that was unforgettable.