BEIJING — Two minutes from gold, Nathan Chen remembered to have fun. A lifetime of sacrifices by him and people who love him, four years of replaying a pair of disastrous short programs in PyeongChang, two days of trying to ignore mounting expectations—all that weight fell away on Thursday at Capital Indoor Stadium as the chords swelled.
Halfway through a stunning, electrifying free skate, Chen reminded himself to smile. And as he mimicked joy, he began to feel it too.
Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated
