U.S. skater Nathan Chen suffered a drastic fall within minutes of his Olympic performance.
The 18-year-old Chen, who is sole undefeated male skater around the world for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games season, toppled to the ice during his triple axel early Friday.
‘I just wasn’t thinking of the right technical things before the jumps,’ Chen said of the shocking fall, according to USA Today.
‘I was a little bit ahead of myself. Obviously, that’s not what I wanted to do on my first Olympic run but I’m also upset that I sort of let the rest of the team down.’
Nathan Chen of the United States warms up before competing in the Figure Skating Team Event Friday
Chen suffered a drastic fall within minutes of his performance
The 18-year-old Chen, who is sole undefeated male skater around the world for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games season
Chen toppled to the ice during his triple axel
‘I just wasn’t thinking of the right technical things before the jumps,’ Chen said of the shocking fall
Prior to his upsetting debut, Chen said Wednesday he got his wish to be chosen for the team trophy.
‘We only get one shot at the ice, so to add another shot, I think that’d be a great experience,’ he told Reuters after practice on Wednesday.
‘Good to just put the programme out there before I have to do the individual.’
The chance to cheer on team mates, and be cheered on by them, clearly appeals to many skaters who are more accustomed to long, lonely hours on the ice.
‘I would love to be in the team event,’ said U.S. skater Mirai Nagasu, who took part in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics but was left off the bronze-winning U.S. team for Sochi.
‘I think some things that I saw in Sochi that I didn’t get the opportunity to have in Vancouver was the team holding hands with arms in the air and medals around their necks,’ she added.
‘As a solo skater, this sport can be really lonely and so to have that opportunity at the Olympic Games is amazing.’
Among the standard major skating nations such as Japan, the United States, Canada and Olympic Athletes from Russia, are more unusual participants, such as Israel.
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