Winter Olympics: figure skater Nathan Chen steals the show on day six as China’s mixed aerial team narrowly miss out on gold
- American Chen makes up for his failure four years ago with a stunning free skate performance as Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu finishes fourth
- On a good day for Team USA, Chloe Kim wins the women’s half-pipe while Mikaela Shiffrin practises for the Super-G after failing to finish her two previous events
American Nathan Chen earned a standing ovation as he danced to figure skating glory while China’s mixed aerial team narrowly missed out on gold after failing to dislodge the USA in their final jump at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Thursday.
The 22-year-old Chen made up for his failure four years ago with a scintillating free skate in which he landed all five quads during his Elton John Rocketman programme, scoring 332.60 points – just three off his own world record. He became the first American since Evan Lysacek in 2010 to win gold.
Though Chen was adored inside the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, he was loathed online as Chinese fans of Japan’s “Ice Prince” Yuzuru Hanyu lamented their hero’s fourth place after he fell twice during his routine.
On an overall good day for Team USA, snowboarder Chloe Kim added to her country’s haul by winning the half-pipe, becoming the first woman to win back-to-back golds, with Chinese freestyle skier and good friend Eileen Gu among the first to congratulate her.
Austria’s Johannes Strolz won gold in the men’s Alpine combined, 34 years after his father Hubert also stood on top of the podium at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde took silver and Canada’s James Crawford claimed a career-best finish for bronze. China’s Zhang Yangmin and Xu Mingfu came in 16 and 17 respectively.
