Golden moment: Nathan Chen wins long-sought Olympic title
Nathan Chen followed his record short program at the Beijing Games with a near-perfect free skate Thursday that earned him a long-awaited Olympic gold medal and standing ovation from a crowd of supporters inside historic Capital Indoor Stadium
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Nathan Chen completed his four-year journey toward an elusive Olympic gold medal Thursday, following his record short program at the Beijing Games with a near-perfect free skate that earned him a standing ovation from supporters inside historic Capital Indoor Stadium.
The 22-year-old star landed all five of his quads during his “Rocketman” program, set to the soaring film score by Elton John to finish with 332.60 points — just three off his own world record — and become the first American champion since Evan Lysacek stood on the top of the podium in 2010 in Vancouver.
Chen's score easily outdistanced his two closest pursuers, Yuma Kagiyama and Shoma Uno of Japan, and put firmly in the past any lingering memories of his brutal disappointment four years ago in Pyeongchang.
It might not be the last gold medal Chen takes home, either.
The Americans who earned silver behind Russia in the team event Monday, were awaiting confirmation from the IOC and International Skating Union that “legal issues” holding up the medal ceremony were related to reports of doping linked to their biggest star, Kamila Valieva. That could ultimately elevate the U.S. to the top step of the podium.
___
More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports