Men’s Free
Nathan Chen demonstrated a blazing, highly technical short program on Saturday night at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena that left the skater sweating and panting. He broke his own national record with 115.39 points.
Skating to “La Boheme,” Chen landed a four Lutz and three-toe combination for a staggering 20-plus points. It was the highest-scoring element in the entire competition.
“Lutz has been a little tricky for me this season, so I’m really happy that I was able to put it out, especially the second half,” Chen said to Andrea Joyce post-skate. “Overall, I’m happy with the way that I skated.”
On Sunday afternoon, the five-time nationals champion has one last task ahead of him before the 2022 Winter Olympics: the free skate. He should have no problems with what is anticipated to be a revival of his 2019-20 program; with such a significant lead, only nerves can stop Chen now.