Nathan Chen was born in Utah on May 5, 1999. He is a figure skater from the United States. He is a three-time World champion (2018 to 2021), a 2018 Olympic team bronze medalist, the 2017 Four Continents champion, a three-time (2017 to 2019) Grand Prix Final champion, and a six-time United States national champion (2017–22).

He won the Junior Grand Prix Final (2015–16). Chen was a bronze medalist in the Junior Grand Prix Final (2013–14) and was a bronze medalist in the 2014 World Junior Championships.

Skating Career

When he was three years old, Chen began figure skating using his sister’s white skates. In 2003, he competed in his first figure skating competition. From 2007 to 2009, he qualified for the US Junior Nationals at the juvenile and intermediate levels. Chen finished 10th and 3rd in the junior divisions at the 2007 and 2008 Junior Nationals. He earned the intermediate men’s silver medal at the 2009 Junior Nationals.

Chen was promoted to the junior level for the 2011–2012 Season. Genia Chernyshova was his instructor, and he also flew to Lake Arrowhead, California, to study with Rafael Arutyunyan, a jump expert. On January 24, 2012, Chen won the junior men’s title at the 2012 U.S. Championships in San Jose, California. In addition, he won the novice men’s event at the 2012 Gardena Spring Trophy in Selva Val Gardena, Italy, on his maiden international outing.

Skating Technique

Chen is the first and only skater to land five different quadruple leaps in competition, including the Salchow, toe loop, loop, flip, and Lutz. In addition, at the 2017 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, he became the first skater to land five quads in a free skate event and seven quads in sanctioned competition.

He is still the only skater to land seven clean (excellent) quads in a single competition, two in the short competition and five in the free skate, which he accomplished at the 2019 Grand Prix Final.