We've gotten used to seeing Nathan Chen [1] do some spectacular things on the ice [2], but it never gets old watching him nail quads and spins with his signature blend of grace and power. In an exacting and demanding sport [3], Chen's routines always give us something to marvel at, and that was definitely the case when he took the ice for his free skate at Skate Canada 2021 on Sunday.
Chen was already comfortably in the lead after his short program; the only question was how many quads (jumps with four revolutions) he'd decide to throw into the free. The answer: a casual four, plus a few triples tacked on for fun, all executed with Chen's usual precision and strength. His jumps were far from the full story here, though, as Chen's elegant skating and style are a lovely echo to the Mozart compilation he uses as his program music. The quieter sections of the routine, when it's just Mozart's strings and Chen's blades slicing across the ice, ooze beauty and intensity — and then he ends with an EDM-influenced dance break that somehow fits perfectly.
And Chen did it all without the support of his coach on the sidelines, after Rafael Arutyunyan inadvertently broke COVID-19 protocols [4] at the event. (Arutyunyan watched from the stands instead, where we assume he was as impressed with his skater as we were.) Chen's free skate was awarded an eye-popping 200 points, and deserved every one of them. Watch the elegant program for yourself above.
