Chen, Zhou offer glimpse of U.S. figure skating's extremely bright future
American figure skaters Nathan Chen and Vincent Zhou have a lot in common. They both made their Olympic debuts at PyeongChang 2018, they're of American-Chinese descent, and they're far too young to buy a beer.
More importantly, though, was the duo's exceptional performance in Friday's free skate. Chen and Zhou proved the wait was worth it, and while they didn't finish on the podium together this time around, it wouldn't be surprising to see them stand side by side as early as 2022 in Beijing.
Chen entered PyeongChang 2018 with a great deal of hype thanks to his stunning display at the 2017 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in men's singles, in which he posted an absurd total score of 307.46, beating reigning gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu. He topped that off with an equally dominant gold-medal showing at the 2017-18 Grand Prix Final.
With Chen now dubbed a prodigy and the male American skater to beat, the 18-year-old stumbled, literally and figuratively, on PyeongChang's big stage. In the short program, multiple falls led to a score of 82.27 and a 17th-place finish. In the free skate, Chen showed the world why he entered the games in such high regard. In what was one of the best performances in recent memory, Chen became the first figure skater in Olympic history to land six quads. He was subsequently rewarded with 215.08 points, which qualifies as the highest individual score in Olympic men's figure skating history. He moved up 12 spots and finished in fifth place, with a combined score of 297.35.
Zhou, the youngest American athlete at PyeongChang 2018, is a different story. He entered the Olympics having skated in fewer events than Chen, but garnered recognition nonetheless. He set a junior world record at the 2017 World Junior Figure Skating Championships with 179.24 points in the free skate, and a combined 258.11. After overcoming a dislocated shoulder, Zhou competed as a senior alongside Chen in the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championship. Chen's dominance earned him gold, but Zhou held his own, finishing with 273.83 total points, and winning bronze.
Like Chen, Zhou struggled in the short program. He was awarded a middling score of 84.53 but dazzled the crowd by landing the first quad Lutz the Olympics have ever seen. At the free skate, his final act of the games, he'd land it again, only this time, his routine was flawless. He'd finish with 276.69 points, ahead of experienced skaters Patrick Chan, and fellow American Adam Rippon.
No country has ever seen two of its athletes leave the games having landed a total of 11 quads, and two quad lutzes. Evan Lysacek is the last male American figure skater to medal in a free skating event, earning gold at Vancouver 2010. Since then, the U.S. has patiently waited for its next star in the men's game.
Together, Chen and Zhou are the answer, and the future of U.S. men's figure skating.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)