BEIJING — The triple loop has long been one of Karen Chen’s most reliable jumps, a trusted friend during her figure skating career. Her nerves have long been her enemy, holding her back from consistently skating with the lightness and precision that illuminate her best performances.
Her enemy overpowered her friend on Sunday while she performed her short program in the Olympic team final at Capital Indoor Stadium, leaving the Northern California native with another disappointing result in Olympic competition.
Chen finished 11th in the women’s singles event at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, a result that led her to consider retiring from the sport before she decided she missed it too much to leave. She finished second at the U.S. championships before the Beijing Games but her performance on Sunday highlighted the weakness of the U.S. women against their fearless and remarkably skilled Russian counterparts.
