Cool, Calm and Collected, Nathan Chen Turns Focus to U.S. Championships -- and Second Olympic Berth

For more than three years, three things were guaranteed: death, taxes, and Nathan Chen winning whatever competition he showed up to.
 
While the winning streak -- which included three World Championships, four Skate America® titles, three U.S. titles and 13 individual competitions overall -- may be over, don't expect much to change from Chen.
 
He's not even the slightest bit rattled, and has shrugged off his slip-up as just part of being an athlete.
 
"Inevitably, as an athlete, I'm going to lose a competition. I'm not going to be perfect every single time I skate," Chen said. "That's part of the sport. You win some, you lose some, and when you lose, try to get better, and when you win, you've got to maintain that. So as of now, I'm in a position where I'm trying to be better off the last competition."
 
The winning streak, of course, came to an end at 2021 Guaranteed Rate Skate America, where Chen finished third behind Vincent Zhou and Japan's Shoma Uno. Chen uncharacteristically fell several times and says that, while early-season nerves could've been a factor, it mostly came down to poor planning.
 
"In the short program, I fell once, and tried to put a flip-toe in the second half, and I wasn't really ready for that, so that was difficult," he said. "(In the) free program, just trying content that I wasn't really ready for. So just bad decisional planning, and just content that I wasn't really ready for. I think that's basically it. Early in the season, trying ambitious programs doesn't always turn out well, so take a step back and try to build up from here."
 
With a winning streak, however, comes sky-high expectations, and Chen is now freed of that narrative as the calendar turns to 2022. Ironically, though, he says he hears more about the winning streak now that it's over.
 
"When it was happening, it wasn't really talked about. Now I think people talk about it more," Chen said with a laugh. "But it is what it is. That's the reality of the situation. It happened, and of course it makes sense that people are going to ask about it.
 
"I'm not going to lose that drive of, 'Hey, I want to do the very, very best that I can, and in doing that, I hope that will be enough to win.' I'm not going to lose that, of course, but still, I don't want to dwell on that and be like, 'The only reason why I'm going to a competition is to win.' I want to continue improving. I want to continue enjoying what I'm doing. I want to continue having great opportunities to have great memories from these competitions. And that's kind of where I bring my focus. So win or lose, it's part of the sport."
 
It didn't take Chen long at all to get right back to his winning ways as he took gold at Skate Canada International the following weekend.
 
Chen has weathered the season like the veteran that he is.
 
"I don't feel like I've had major setbacks this season," he said. "It's kind of just like, hey, let's just keep progressing, let's keep trying to get a little bit better, keep improving as much as I can, and be the best that I can."
 
Chen's first- and third-place finishes at his Grand Prix assignments had him qualified for his fifth International Skating Union Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Originally slated to be held Dec. 9-12 in Osaka, Japan, the event has since been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns and travel restrictions.
 
However, Chen did not take his qualification for granted.
 
"To be completely honest, after I got bronze, I was like, 'Oh, I'm not going to make this (Final), even if I got first (at Skate Canada International),'" Chen said. "So I'm really glad that I even made the Final."
 
With the Grand Prix Final off the table, Chen will now turn his attention to the 2022 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Jan. 3-9, 2022, in Nashville.
 
In Nashville, Chen will look to win a sixth consecutive U.S. title. It's a feat only accomplished by the legendary Dick Button, who won seven straight from 1946-52, since World War II.
 
But he hasn't spent a whole lot of time dwelling on the future.
 
"I try not to think about that," Chen said. "One competition, one day at a time, and everything will work itself out as time goes on. But I think looking too far in the future hasn't really played out super well for me in the past."
 
Chen will also look to lock up a second Olympic berth with his performance at the U.S. Championships. Now four years older and wiser than he was in PyeongChang in 2018, he hopes to use the rest of the season to continue honing his skills, dialing in his programs and getting himself ready for Beijing.
 
"I think generally just continue improving on the weaknesses that I have in my programs, and just day by day, try to put things together as clean as I can," Chen said of his goals for the rest of the season. "And of course, by the time the Olympics roll around, whether or not the results play in my favor, just do everything in my power to put down programs that I feel satisfied with, and I feel accomplished with.
 
"And just try to enjoy the experience. I think last Olympics I didn't really give myself a chance to really recognize how cool it was that I had that opportunity. Right now, obviously, trying to make the team is the number one thing. And then from there, just be present during the Games, assuming I can make it, but be present there, and really try to enjoy it."