Karen Chen

[matmuh]

Karen Chen, born August 16, 1999 in Fremont, California, is an American figure skater. She is the the 2012 U.S. Novice Champion, the 2013 Junior Grand Prix of Slovakia champion, and the 2015, 2018 and 2021 U.S. national bronze medalist in the Senior division, and is the 2017 U.S. National Senior Champion. Chen was fourth at 2017 Worlds and 2021 Worlds. She finished eleventh at the 2018 Olympics, but had to withdraw from 2018 Worlds, and has battled with injuries ever since. In Jul.-Aug. 2019, she returned to competition and finished second at the 2019 Philadelphia Summer International competition. Karen finished fourth at 2020 US Nationals.

Updated 12 April 2021​

BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILES

Official Website: https://gokarenchen.wordpress.com/

ISU Profile : http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00034366.htm

US Fanzone Profile:
https://web.archive.org/web/20180630074013/http://web.icenetwork.com/skaters/profile/karen_chen

Archived Icenetwork Profile : https://web.archive.org/web/20180630074013/http://web.icenetwork.com/skaters/profile/karen_chen

Tracings Profile: http://tracings.net/chen-kare.html

Wikipedia Page : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Chen

Rinkresults: http://www.rinkresults.com/skater?skater_id=696


SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/karen.chen.5492 (its private though)

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/karebearsk8/

ISU Personal Best Scores (+/- 5 GOE)​

Type	Score	Competition
Personal Best Total Score	208.63	ISU World Championships 2021
Personal Best Score Short Program	74.40	ISU World Championships 2021
Personal Best Score Free Skating	134.23	ISU World Championships 2021

Personal Best Scores (+/- 3 GOE)​

Type	Score	Competition
Personal Best Total Score	199.29	2017 World Championships
Personal Best Score Short Program	69.98	2017 World Championships
Personal Best Score Free Skating	129.31	2017 World Championships

Programs​

2020-2021 Season
SP: "Rise" by Katy Perry; choreo by Drew Meekins
FS: Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto; choreo by Pasquale Camerlengo

2019-2020 Season
SP: "You Say” by Lauren Daigle; choreo by Ilona Melnichenko
FS1: "Appassionata" & "Illumination" by Secret Garden; choreo by Ilona Melnichenko
FS2: "The Ovation" from Slow Dancing in the Big City by Bill Conti

2018-2019 Season
SP: "Fire Dance" by Jennifer Thomas (from Illumination album), an arrangement of "Malagueña" by Ernesto Lecuona and "Asturias" by Isaac Albeniz; choreo by Karen Chen, Rohene Ward, Massimo Scali, Marina Zoueva :
FS: Trio Elegiaque No. 3 by Sergei Rachmaninov; choreo by Karen Chen, Rohene Ward, Massimo Scali, Marina Zoueva

2017-2018 Season
SP : Tango de Roxanne choreo by Mark Pillay
FS : Carmen by Bizet; choreo by Mark Pillay

2016-2017 Season
SP : On Golden Pond by Dave Grusin choreo. by Jonathan Cassar
FS : Jalousie 'Tango Tzigane' by Jacob Gade choreo. by Jonathan Cassar

2015-2016 Season
SP : Nessun Dorma by Giacomo Puccini performed by Luciano Pavarotti
FS On My Own from Les Miserables by Claude-Michel Schonberg choreo by Cindy Stuart

2014-15 Season
SP : "Requiem for a Tower" by Clint Mansell
FS : "The Godfather Suite" by Carmine Coppola and Nino Rota

2013-14 Season
SP : "Esperanza" by Maxime Rodriguez
FS : Selections from the Miss Saigon soundtrack by Claude-Michel Schonberg

2012-13 Season
SP : Music from the The House of Flying Daggers soundtrack by Shigeru Umebayashi
FS : "Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra" by Joshua Bell

2011-12 Season
SP : "The Chairman's Waltz" by John Williams
FS : Selections from The Godfather soundtrack by Nino Rota

Competitions and Videos​

Competition	SP		FS		Overall		Gala
	Pos	Score	Pos	Score	Pos	Score
2020-21 Season
2021 World Championships	4	74.40	6	134.23	4	208.63
2021 US Championships	4	70.99	3	143.99	3	214.98
2020 Skate America	4	68.13	2	136.77	4	204.90
2019-2020 Season
2020 Four Continents	8	67.28	6	133.78	7	201.06
2020 US Nationals	5	70.41	4	]123.24	4	193.65
2019 NHK Trophy	3	67.21	11	98.49	9	165.70
2019 Skate America	6	66.03	10	99.64	8	165.67
2019 Autumn Classic	3	60.89	4	112.77	4	173.66
Philadelphia Summer International 2019	1	65.63	2	117.36	2	182.99
2018-2019 Season Did Not Compete after Tallinn Trophy
ISU CS Tallinn Trophy 2018	9	52.93	WD		WD
2017-2018 Season
2018 Olympics	10	65.90	11	119.75	11	185.65
2018 US Nationals	3	69.38	4	129.11	3	198.58
ISU GP Skate America 2017	9	59.53	6	123.27	8	182.80
ISU GP Skate Canada International 2017	5	61,77 OC	7	108,63 OC NBC	7	170,40
2017 Japan Open	-	-	6	116,32	T,3		(X)
US International Figure Skating Classic 2017 (CS)	2	66,18	3	116,14	3	182,32
2017 Glacier Falls FSC Summer Classic	1	73,42	1	144,67	1	218,09
2016-2017 Season
2017 World Team Trophy	8	60,33	9	108,62	9 (T-3)	168,95
2017 World Championships	5	69,98	6	129,31 BBC	4	199,29
2017 Four Continents Championships	12	55,60	10	111,22	12	166,82
2017 U.S. Figure Skating Championships	1	72,82 IN	1	141,4	1	214,22	(X)
2016 Golden Spin of Zagreb (CS)	6	54,60	7	101,03	7	155,63	(X)
ISU GP NHK Cup 2016	7	58,76 US	5	119,69	6	178,45
ISU GP Cup of China 2016	9	58,28	5	121,11	7	179,39
2016 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic (CS)	6	51,50	3	110,58	3	162,08
2015-2016 Season
2016 Four Continents Championships	12	53,55	10	107,97	12	161,52
2016 U.S. Figure Skating Championships	12	54,86	8	113,89	8	168,75
2015 Golden Spin of Zagreb (ISU CS)	4	56,82	3	118,53	3	175,35	(x)
ISU GP Cup of China 2015	7	58,30	5	117,63 CBC	5	175,93	(x)
ISU GP Skate America 2015	4	62,28	6	110,26 NBC	5	172,54
2015 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic	3	60,94	5	98,24	4	159,18
2015 Golden West Championships	1	66,45	1	125,06	1	191,51
2015 Glacier Falls Summer Classic	4	57,54	WD	-	-	-
2014-2015 Season
2015 World Junior Championships	12	51,64	8	105,66	8	157,30
2015 U.S National Championships	6	64,66	3	135,13	3	199,79	(x)
JGP Zagreb (Croatia) 2014	1	62,71	2	106,70	2	169,41
JGP Ostrava (Czech Republic) 2014	1	60,68	4	100,27	3	160,95
2013-2014 Season
2014 World Junior Championships	6	56,09	9	99,74	9	155,83
2014 U.S. Championships (junior)	5	51,78	WD	-	-	-
JGP Kosice (Slovakia) 2013	1	64,46	2	114,62	1	179,08
JGP Riga Cup (Latvia) 2013	2	58,21	4	96,05	3	154,26
2012-2013 Season
Gardena Spring Trophy 2013 (novice)	1	41,30	1	89,94	1	131,24
2013 U.S. Championships (junior)	3	54,34	4	90,22	4	144,56
2011-2012 Season
2012 U.S. Championships (novice)	1	46,54	1	93,63	1	140,17	(x)
2010-2011 Season
2011 U.S. Junior Championships (intermediate)	1	40,62	1	79,30	1	119,92

Other Videos

2019 Peggy Fleming Trophy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ojkaXNaXeo

2019 Broadmoor Open SP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUxOoYlCZ4M


TSL Interview : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLVTpOSHD4Y

2015 Skate America - NBC fluff intro : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJMdmY_Tcnk

U.S. International Figure Skating Classic Reaction Videos
After SP : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsJYuEjVJRI
After LP : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CDiw8aLT0o

2013-2014 Southern California Interclub Competition SP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqxWK1DOEd8

Karen Chen - 2012 Silicon Valley Open : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ3i-WkWkpU

Karen Chen FP Glacier Falls Summer Classic 2013 : FP:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn9_1rr-IdY

2014 Golden Moment - Karen Chen (Act 2) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZfuqS_WObo

Bay Area Figure Skating Celebration at San Francisco Union Square on January 9, 2013, including Karen: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NygXt-4loII


GOLDEN SKATE ARTICLES AND THREADS

Articles
Interview by Paula Slater
Chen Brings Home Third Consecutive JGP Medal September 19, 2014

Interview by Elvin Walker
Chen Looks Forward to Junior Debut June 20, 2012

Reports from 2012 US Nationals
Chen takes U.S. ladies novice title Jan 24, 2012
Chen leads novice ladies in San Jose

Threads

"Karen Chen Article re 2015 Junior Worlds" Mar 2, 2015
http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?54457-Karen-Chen-article-re-2015-Junior-Worlds

"Karen Chen withdraws from JGPF; Angela Wang will participate in the final" November 11, 2013
http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/sh...GPF-Angela-Wang-will-participate-in-the-final

"Karen Chen Wins Novice Ladies Short" Jan 22, 2012
http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?35958-Karen-Chen-wins-novice-ladies-short

ARTICLES

Fremont skater Karen Chen places 8th at junior World Championships March 6, 2015

Young Fremont skater Karen Chen creating a stir Jan 30, 2015

Karen Chen, Just 15, Rises To The Top Of U.S. Figure Skating Jan 29, 2015

Chen snags medal she can't refuse: novice gold Jan 23, 2012

Monster free skate propels Chen to gold medal December 18, 2010

Gold medal has Chen all smiles

OP by matmuh September 15, 2014
​

Many of us really love Karen but like Gracie she has her demons We hope she can get over it this season and skate her best in seasons to come, because she is the complete package!!

 

[Miss Ice]

Karen Chen, or why there is still hope for technique and artistry in American figure skating.

See here what I mean.

Seriously, I am SO impressed by this junior 15-year-old. She skates like a senior. Such expression, much artistry. We should all watch for her this season for JWC.

 

[dorispulaski]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c9Y-bzrkJlU

I have been interested in Karen's skating since I saw her in this amazing performance in an exhibition in 2012.

 

[Barb]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c9Y-bzrkJlU

I have been interested in Karen's skating since I saw her in this amazing performance in an exhibition in 2012.

wow

 

[GGoldberg]

Pacing. Hope she is not rushed or pushed in ways which put her at risk for injury. A wonderful talent. Hope to see her continue to thrive.

 

[OS]

Yes finally a Karen Chen thread My fav junior skater.

Love love her... amazing potential, hope she keep up developing her artistry and don't push too hard consider her injury. I love that exhibition too doris.

 

[Miss Ice]

Anyone sad she isn't going to GPF?

 

[humbaba]

Anyone sad she isn't going to GPF?

Doesn't not qualifying for the JGPF mean she will have to go to sectionals? If so, that means we'll get to see her in a couple of weeks.

 

[dorispulaski]

Yes, we should know whether she is scheduled for sectionals soon. Ice Network will air Pacific Coast Sectionals.

 

[gotoschool]

Anyone sad she isn't going to GPF?

Yes, I am. I think her skating is beautiful: her spins, extensions and elegant steps. I just wish she could get her stamina and jumps back consistently in the LP after her ankle injury.

 

[flutz16]

I hope she overcome her injuries soon
with the current field of US lady skaters being so inconsistent
she could have a bright future for 2018 and beyond

 

[OS]

Congratulations on Winning US pacific coast Sectionals... 116.75 FS, not bad at all!

http://www.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2015/2015_pc_fs_sectionals/CAT009SEG016.html

Whoohoo... looks like Karen is recovering well!!

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Congratulations on Winning US pacific coast Sectionals... 116.75 FS, not bad at all!

http://www.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2015/2015_pc_fs_sectionals/CAT009SEG016.html

Whoohoo... looks like Karen is recovering well!!

Karen's SP is really good!!!! :yay: She made me into a fan during JGP!

 

[Miss Ice]

Congratulations on Winning US pacific coast Sectionals... 116.75 FS, not bad at all!

http://www.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2015/2015_pc_fs_sectionals/CAT009SEG016.html

Whoohoo... looks like Karen is recovering well!!

Those UR's and fall though. It seems she was judged a little liberally in the LP, that would receive a lower score in an international competition. I would say she has a lot to work on based on those protocols. But, I am excited for her in Nationals, I LOVE her skating!

 

[OS]

Great time to revive this thread!

GOSH... I am still buzzed that she made the US Nationals podium competing with the Sr. for the first time among some incredibly high standard of skating! Best in ages!!! She was gobsmackingly brilliant consider her last few outings and coming back from a BROKEN ANKLE last season. I am still utterly shell shocked she managed it! What a little fire cracker she is!!

Hope her federation give her some space to blossom naturally, steadily improve, realistic expectations. She has a tough road ahead competing with influx of really talented Russian youngsters as well as from Japan.

 

[Meoima]

Go Karen, she has it all now puberty mosnter please treat her nicely!

 

[gotoschool]

I already wrote this on the American National Championships thread, but I was so impressed with Karen's performance. To me, her LP skate was the best and the most exciting, even with Ashley giving a fine performance. The attack, surprising speed, the beautiful flexibility in the spirals, spins (with a gorgeous Biellmann) and her grace were just fabulous and finally she is getting consistent on her jumps. I just love her style, flair and expressiveness. She finally got redemption for all the heartache she had in her LPs during the Junior Grand Prix season. It's amazing that three juniors (Evgenia Medvedeva in Russia, Wakaba Higuchi in Japan and Karen Chen in the US) all got bronze medals in their National Championships.

 

[s_parks]

I just fell in love with her at nationals, first time seeing her skate. She really does skate big and I just love her layback. Hopefully she can get that ur on the end of the 3-3 combo worked out and she slays puberty.

 

[gotoschool]

Here is a link for Karen's freeskate. This one works.

http://www.snowalps.com/sport/figur...hen-us-nationals-2015-greensboro-free-program

 

[John King]

I just was watching Karen at the Prudential 2015 Championships, and upon hearing the commentary, thought:"Did Tara Lipinski just call Karen a little grasshopper?" Played it back and, yes, commentary went as such: "She's so itty-bitty, she's like a little grasshopper though, watch how fast she's flying into this combination(jump)...". Yeah, just like Uncle Dickie (Buttons) describing Elena Sokolova as a "cupcake", I wonder if this will be a nickname-in-the-making!