Nathan Chen | Page 725 | Golden Skate

Nathan Chen

Men SP press conference: https://twitter.com/rockerskating/status/1089257651819737088?s

Chen: From a schedule perspective, school fit really well with the skating season. A lot of the breaks coincided w the competitions. It was great to have the break from school. We just finished syllabus week, so not too many assignments, so not missing out on too much

Chen: Really nice to be back home. CA is beautiful so it was nice to get out of the cold in New Haven. It was great to be training w Mariah, Romain, Michal & everyone else. Raf provides a very good training environment. It was good to have that before school for a wk.
 
Is there a way to rewatch the whole nbc short program broadcast? I set my alarm at the wrong time... and missed everththing 😢
 
Woohoo! I was so happy he finally did a clean short. Not so sure about the new costume - I kinda miss the vest that others seemed to complain about so much - lol It's not bad though.
 
I wasn't really complaining about the vest at the time, but seeing it side by side... the vest made his posture appear a lot worse than it actually is and there was so much bunching around his shoulders https://twitter.com/nathanchengifs/status/1089250669045833728 It just wasn't a good look. Vera could throw in some color though! This isn't the best costume for this type of program, but I think it looks really nice. I wonder what we'll get tomorrow? Black and white or all black? :laugh:
 
Loved: 1) That Nathan kept his curls, 2) That he went clean, 3) The 4T+3T 4) Raf and Nathan in the KnC :yahoo::hap93:

Did not care for: The joy and abandon of the program being watered down :ddevil:

Meh on: the costume :slink:
 
Maybe some grey as well tomorrow:p

Black/white/grey (along with navy) seem to be Nathan’s preferred colors on and off the ice
 
He was more subdued here for sure and not as wild, but I guess he wanted to be clean. I can see the Raf training shinning through. His spins were also better. I don't think this is a peak though? Which is good. Peak at worlds please.

Raf had nothing to say in the K&C. It was pretty funny. Usually he has advice to give. :laugh:
 
Nathan really wanted a clean performance! Seems that it is quite challenging to combine that wild, off-kilter movement with great quads.
 
He did ramp it up after the 4F, then took another break for the combo, and then he was back on for the rest of the program... he was also very smiley throughout, which was endearing.

I love minimalist designs (and imo most FS costumes are hideous and tacky) so I love the new costume, obviously. :laugh: It looks very classy and chic.
And that is independent from the fact, that its cut makes his lines look SO much better. Even his choreo moves look cleaner in that costume.
 
I like minimal costumes often, but I'm not a fan of the turtleneck for this one. The black around the neck stands out too much with the whole chest white. It made me think penguin, not tux :slink:. And it doesn't fit the program. But, it is much better fitting than the old one. I think the sleek, minimal look will fit the FS well, so we'll see.

The performance wasn't as all out as some of the others, but it was very well done.
 
Could barely even see Nathan’s lines in his old vest ‘costume’

Like the sleeve length and this new costume really highlights his physique as it’s quite fitted! His torso looks really good in this top.
 
Nathan Chen, still adjusting to life at Yale, grabs lead at U.S. figure skating nationals
https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...e-nathan-chen-leads-short-program/2689311002/

“I’m really loving being in the college atmosphere, being able to have something to do outside of the rink, being able to focus on things that are in my opinion equally as important as the time that I spend on the ice,” he said after his short program. “Whereas in California, it’s everything just structured around skating. If you have a bad day, that kind of carries on throughout the rest of the day. But, potentially, if I have a bad day on the ice, you can have a good day outside of the rink. That sort of mood change carries on for the next day.”
 
I also enjoyed Nathan's StSq, it felt more precise, and you could tell he really made sure that all his turns look clean this time.


Lol at those who think the Vera costume makes Nathan look like a penguin.
It's a funny notion, but I don't get it... :p
There's many animals with a black coat and a white belly... but such a simple design doesn't make me think of animals in general, that wouldn't even occur to me. :scratch2:

And yes, finally a costume that shows off his great proportions.

I'm glad that Vera isn't giving him more flamboyant costumes the way she did for Evan.
These simple, clear-cut and understated designs fit Nathan's personality and his sharp, modern skating style much better.
(Here's hoping his FS costume and any future Vera designs don't swing in another direction :laugh:)


Raf had nothing to say in the K&C. It was pretty funny. Usually he has advice to give. :laugh:

Raf didn't look particularly satisfied, maybe he's secretly wishing for Nathan to fail, so that he'll have to return to California. :laugh:
 
After turning life upside down, Nathan Chen landing on his feet:
https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019...anding-on-his-feet-us-national-championships/

He was mixing quad Lutzes and courses in calculus, chemistry, Spanish and English. He had to schedule his own ice time, both at Yale’s on-campus Ingalls Rink, where he skates by himself for 60-to-90 minutes from Monday through Friday, and another rink nearby. He had to keep professors apprised of when he would be absent for competitions, which has been the case this week.

“Professors have been okay with it, and they have been accommodating with quizzes and assignments,” Chen said.

Chen said his first semester grades included “some A’s and Bs.” In the second semester, which began 12 days ago, he is taking two courses in quantitative reasoning, math and statistics, and two more courses “TBD” – to be determined.

He would apologize for using “TBD” to answer several questions, including how long he would stay at Yale before likely taking a break to focus on preparations for the 2022 Olympics. At this point, he intends to continue for at least one more year.

...

One of the concessions Chen made to his demanding schedule was initially to minimize, in terms relative only to himself, the number of quads he would do in competition. The man who had been credited with a historic six quads in the 2018 Olympic and world championship free skates, landing five cleanly each time, is satisfied with trying four in Sunday’s free skate.
 
That was such a privilege to see Nathan doing his quads in person! I also like his new outfit more. The vest and tight pants were strange and unflattering. Anyway, Nathan made a huge statement in the SP, and I'm looking forward to his (very likely) victory tomorrow.
 
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