Heading into the 2018 Olympics, skating pundits predicted that Nathan Chen, the fast-rising star of American figure skating, would likely land on the podium at his very first Olympics. It was a massive shock, then, when Chen's short program went wrong in nearly every way, putting him in 17th place and almost 30 points behind the leader.
That failed short program set the stage for one of the biggest comebacks in Olympic history. Out for redemption, Chen put down the best free skate of the night, becoming the first skater to ever land six quads (five cleanly). Although he didn't land on the podium, he skyrocketed from 17th to fifth place overall, and it was the last time he would lose a competition for several years. Exactly four years later, in Beijing, Chen completed his journey to Olympic gold.
Watch Chen's jaw-dropping redemption free skate here.
