Nathan Chen tells how he earned his 'unreal' gold medal: Focus, friends and a belief in fearlessness

Gold medals are heavier when they’re around your neck.

“It is quite heavy. It still feels unreal,” admits Nathan Chen the day after his gold medal-winning figure skating performance at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

“I've dreamed about this moment for a long time, but I never really actually thought it would be something that could come to fruition,” adds the 22-year-old with his new prized possession clad closely to his check. “So it still just doesn't feel totally real to have this around my neck.”

Less than 24 hours earlier, Chen had done what he couldn’t four years ago: He skated his absolute best on the Olympic stage, from the opening of the short program to the close of the free skate.

Yes, there were bobbles, but instead of taking him off track completely, Chen adjusted as the bumps came his way. Much like his disbelief about winning gold, the American faced doubts as the opening chords of his 'Rocket Man' music boomed over the loudspeakers inside the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing.

"I was just trying to exude an air of confidence for myself,” he explained. "Sometimes when you set your mind to do something, even if you don't feel like it, your body will naturally carry on to that feeling."

The self-messaging was important for Chen, who led after the short program and was set to skate last, with rivals Hanyu Yuzuru, Uno Shoma and Kagiyama Yuma all performing before him – and throwing down strong skates themselves.

“I told myself, ‘All right, have fun. Feel confident and you can do this.’ I started the program and then it was just like, ‘Breathe. Get your body grounded into the ice.’”

While coach Rafael Arutunian and choreographers Shae-Lynn Bourne and Marie-France Dubreuil have helped Chen with what his