Nathan Chen and Mariah Bell share bond on and off the ice

Olympic figure skating champion Nathan Chen and Mariah Bell are the best of buddies.

Chen helped USA to second in the team event before going on to win gold in the men's singles.

Bell finished 10th in the women's singles skating on her Olympic Winter Games debut.

Part of the reason for their bond is that they both have Rafael Arutunian as their coach.

Arutunian also trained PyeongChang 2018 team bronze medallist Adam Rippon who now choreographs for Bell.

Chen has been coached by Arutiunian since he was 11 with Bell joining the group six years ago.

The pair have formed a close friendship built on support and humour and, Bell says, because they are both "huge dorks".

She told people.com: "[Chen is] really, truly one of my best friends in the world. I've known him for so long.

"When we started training together, we started to talk more and we have the exact same sense of humour.

"We're both huge dorks and we just get along really well, and also with the people that we train with, so we just have a really great community. But it's so cool to go to the Olympics with him."

Chen won gold after a dazzling performance set to a medley of tracks by Elton John, including 'Rocket Man', as he became the seventh American to claim the men's singles title.

John sent a message of congratulations to the 22-year-old as he added Olympic gold to his eight world titles, four years after he finished fifth in the individual event at PyeongChang 2018.

He echoed Bell's sentiments, telling nbcolympics.com: "We've shared a lot of experiences over the past. She is someone who has become so near and dear to me."