(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong), Nathan Chen, of the United States, holds his national flag as he celebrates after winning the gold medal in the mens free skate program during the figure skating event at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, in Beijing. The award has been delayed after ROC skater Kamila Valieva, After the 2020 worlds were canceled because of the pandemic, Chen won his third world title last March. Chen and his figure skating teammates are also still waiting to get their silver medal from the team event. Depending on the moment and mood, they can be shunned as traitors to the motherland or embraced as heroes who bring glory to the nation. As Chen returns for the 2022 Beijing Games, the 22-year-old has reasserted himself as a dominant presence in the sport. In his free time, he loves to indulge in photography. One of the final events of the Winter Olympics will be the Exhibition Gala, during which fans will get to enjoy more personality-centric performances featuring some of the Games most popular skaters. Chen, who trains in Irvine, won the gold medal with a world-record score. In January 2018, Nathan Chen made his first TV show appearance on the news talk show, Today. But Sign up for Boardrooms newsletters to get the biggest stories in the business of sports, entertainment, and culture directly in your inbox daily. WebNathan Chen 24 is golden. That level of success allows Chen to command five- and even six-figure marketing deals, even as endorsement opportunities grow more scarce for Winter Olympians and figure skating continues to fade in popularity. Hurdler Dawn Harper-Nelson, who won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing and a silver medal in London in 2012, is sponsored by Nike, but has never received as many endorsements as fellow hurdler Lolo Jones. On the other hand, its likely that well continue to see mostly white faces in endorsement deals because the U.S. Olympic teams are still overwhelmingly white. Hes so unbelievably talented. Those werent really taken away until after the Second World War, Josephine Lee, professor of English and Asian American studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, said. The Chinese response to some of the athletes has been indifferent at best, derisive at worst. Bing Dwen Dwen the panda is cute, but the Beijing Olympics mascot obviously doesn't compare to a medal. His costumes for the 2018 US Championships were designed by the popular fashion designer. Apart from ice training, he squeezes a gym workout into his routine. Its a whirlwind right now. Starting figure skating at the age of three, he developed an interest in the sport and achieved major accomplishments. Not only was Chinese immigration stifled during the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 which first put a 10-year moratorium on any Chinese labor immigration to the U.S. and was subsequently extended through additional policies well into the 1900s Asian American participation in mainstream cultural institutions was not feasible whatsoever. Chen, who trains in Irvine, won the gold medal. 1 331 Table of Contents 333 352. Prior to joining the Register in 1996, Reid worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Dallas Times Herald. His free skate score of 215.08 was also the highest in Olympic history. In the womens competition, Russian women historically dominate the individual event and could easily sweep the podium awards. Chen is based in the Los Angeles area and is coached by Rafael Arutunian. Its really a sad commentary on the industry Lolo [Jones] is in, Janice Forsyth, the director of the International Centre for Olympic Studies at the University of Western Ontario, told the New York Times. We can see the heightened expectations and demands for these young athletes to pick a side, to prove their loyalty in one way or another, said Ellen Wu, an associate professor of history at Indiana University who researches Asian American history. Theyre all slated to compete in one event with some being tapped for the team event mid-Olympics. The only real question remaining is whether Chen is the greatest of all-time in a sport he has revolutionized? The Salt Lake City native won gold at the world championships the month after those Games, beginning an undefeated streak of ten international individual events that finally ended with a third-place finish at Skate America in October 2021. His win He landed five sets of quadruple jumps in the competition and danced to the tunes of the famous Elton John song, Rocketman. Jackson Skates. Arutyunyan agreed to coach Chen only after the boy passed an interview. These spaces, while originating in the late 19th century, persisted well into the 1900s, historian Ellen Wu, author of The Color of Success, explained. BEIJING When the figure skater Nathan Chen won an Olympic gold medal for the United States, the state media in China, his parents birthplace, practically ignored his victory. She also needed to make sure that her hair was done, her makeup was on point, and her manicure was flawless. Yet Wagner didnt make the Olympic team this year (shes an alternate). Chinese social media users posted comments dismissing the American athletes achievement as unworthy of attention because, in their view, he had insulted China. And in return, Olympians get the personal fulfillment of achieving feats of athleticism. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/5dxRkPjLLW, NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 10, 2022, Olympic Champion behavior. On one end is 16-year-old Alysa Liu, the youngest member of Team USAs figure skating delegation. Ultimately, his Olympic experience was cut short after contracting the flu. Will Cain, a Fox News Host, said it was ungrateful of Ms. Gu to betray the country that not just raised her, but turned her into a world-class skier.. He also covers Olympic and international sports as well as the Los Angeles bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games. The complete roster of U.S. figure skaters is: Unlike many other Olympic sports, figure skating does not have a singular Olympic Trial in the U.S. Rather, all selections are made on a discretionary basis, with priority being granted to the U.S. When the then-18-year-old figure skating star arrived at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018, he was the favorite to take home gold in the mens individual event. The headline also didnt name either of the Asian American skaters who made the team, announcing, Meet Bradie Tennell and the rest of the U.S. womens figure skating Olympic team.. However, the Chinese duo Sui Wenjing and Han Cong will have their work cut out for them with France, the U.S. and the Russian Olympic Committee all expected to enter competitive pairs. Three-time and reigning world champion Nathan Chen will head into next month's Olympic Games Beijing 2022 one title shy of two-time Olympic champ Dick Button's record, Button winning seven straight from 1946-52. He attended West High School in Utah while later on attended Yale University. His accolades followed from there as he won the gold medal for the 2015-2016 Junior Grand Prix Final. All rights reserved, while wearing an outfit designed by Vera Wang, getting the plush toy before they are handed their medals. Last week, Chinese state media was noticeably silent on the gold medal win by Mr. Chen, the American figure skater, in the mens individual event, focusing instead on Japans Yuzuru Hanyu, who finished fourth, and on the Chinese figure skater Jin Boyang, who placed ninth. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson), Nathan Chen competes during the mens free skate at the Winter Olympic Games on Thursday (Wednesday night PT) in Beijing, China. Depending on his goals, his gym workout can last somewhere between 1-2 hours. It still probably has the cachet that it has had, Grady says of the sport. Hence, he is the best skater out there. What a pity., The Olympians Caught Up in the U.S.-China Rivalry, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/16/world/asia/olympics-china-american-athletes.html. Now with one Olympics under his belt, Chen is poised to cement his legacy with his first individual medal. After a record-breaking score in the short program earlier this week, Chen delivered with another exceptional free skate, crediting fellow Asian American Olympic icon Michelle Kwan as his inspiration. Comcast. Team USA is eyeing its first figure skating medal since 2010 as both Nathan Chen and Jason Brown are set to compete in the final mens event Wednesday. Chen was born on May 5, 1999, to Zhidong Chen and Hetty Wang in Salt Lake City, Utah, Growing up, he had siblings and wanted to be an ice hockey goalie. Kimmy Yam is a reporter for NBC Asian America. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. When she stepped onto the track, she didnt just need to run her best race. Likewise, his favorite basketball team is the Utah Jazz, often seen attending their games. Thats not coincidental; shes a white, blonde, and attractive woman. For context, professional figure skaters spend between $35,000 and $50,000 per year on everything from costumes to training. Whatever ends up being the case will be the case, but I'm still wrapped up in what I was able to do today., Watch all the action from the Beijing Olympics live on NBC. A month after the PyeongChang Games, he landed a record eight quads in winning at the World Championships and then enrolled at Yale in the fall of 2018. Forbes estimates The U.S. roster was finalized in mid-January following the national championships, with sixteen athletes making the cut for Beijing. Many people argued that colorism played a role in Jones receiving so much attention when she hasnt won medals in the sport. In 2003, he participated in his first skating competition. Coming into PyeongChang, Nagasu was aiming to secure a spot thanks to her triple axel. Harper-Nelson is a darker-skinned Black woman; Jones is light-skinned. Every brand is looking for diversity, and its an important thing for brands to have diversity, more so than its ever been.. As Chen returns for the 2022 Beijing Games, the 22-year-old has reasserted himself as a dominant presence in the sport. Rather, it now hinges on their ability to hew to Chinas increasingly demanding, some say unrealistic, expectations. Chen, who trains in Irvine, won the gold medal in convincing fashion. U.S. curler Tabitha Peterson works in retail pharmacy. Hanyu finished with a mark of 95.15, over 15 points below his score at the PyeongChang Games. Olympic Medal Count 2022: See Who Won The Most Overall and Gold Medals, This 26-Year-Old Pays $0 to Live in a Luxury Tiny Home' She Built for $35,000 in Her Backyard Take a Look Inside, Winter Storm May Bring More Snow to NYC Friday and Worse to Everyone Else: What to Know, 4 Ferraris Stolen on Long Island in Service Center Heist. Nathan Chen is represented by Yuki Saegusa of IMG Sports & Entertainment. The incredible Nathan Chen is one of the best figure skaters in the world. Historically, endorsements have gone to white and thin female athletes, such as skiers Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin. Rather than painting Chens win as a racial victory, Choy said he stands as a symbol of skill and determination in the face of a history of anti-Asian bias. On the other end, are five athletes over the age of 30, capped off by 33-year-old Evan Bates making his fourth Olympic appearance. The sensational figure skater is proving to be a legend in recent times. I mean, I don't really feel like I'm the most qualified person to talk about it, Chen said. Around 30 athletes competing for China in this years Games are naturalized Chinese citizens, with most playing for the mens and womens ice hockey teams. Even before the Olympic qualifier, Wagner had a huge number of endorsement opportunities, and appeared in advertisements for Bridgestone, Dicks Sporting Goods, Nike, Procter & Gamble, Samsung, Toyota, and Zico coconut water. Follow them on Twitter at @britnidlc. I think for a greater change to occur, there must be power that is beyond the Olympics. He continued to power through the 2020-21 season, winning a sixth consecutive U.S. title last month, a feat last accomplished by two-time Olympic champion Dick Button, 71 years ago. When it comes to diet, he relies on an organized nutrition schedule. In China, however, Ms. Gu has quickly become a superstar. When women are told theyre worse athletes, they perform worse. Wu explained that they organized, involving other marginalized groups in the process, to desegregate major bowling organizations. What Is Trimetazidine and Why Is It Banned in the Winter Olympics and Other Sports? Chen has deals with more established Both Vonn and Shiffrin are Olympic gold medalists who deserve recognition, but their looks play a definitive role in the number of endorsements they receive. This is a BETA experience. Chen, who set a world record earlier this week in the mens short program, is the gold-medal favorite for the mens individual competition. Team Event Mens & Pairs SP, Rhythm Dance. It just may not be quite the TV viewing priority that it once was.. He now owns the top four free skate programs. At the same time, we still have a long way to go when it comes to ensuring that endorsements prioritize an athletes performance over their looks, and move away from promoting an idealized standard of beauty. They emigrated to the United States in their 20s. Soon after, his career skyrocketed to greater heights. By the standards of Winter Olympians, who generally struggle across a fragmented marketing landscape to get even five-figure marketing deals, Chen is near the top of the heap. He started skating at the age of 3. And when it comes to whos chosen for those deals, looks matter just as much as performance and athletic ability. Chens victory followed a familiar pattern set by the previous three U.S. mens Olympic champions, Scott Hamilton (1984), Brian Boitano (1988) and Evan Lysacek (2010), all of whom won their gold medals in their second Games. Chen, who trains in Irvine, won the gold medal. Chen finished fifth overall. She wasnt just running for a medal; she was running for endorsement money. However, figure skating is one of the events where athletes are getting the plush toy before they are handed their medals. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/4rp8oOplpd. 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