Winter Olympics 2022 - Nathan Chen stuns to put US on top in figure skating team event

Nathan Chen got his Winter Olympics off to a perfect start in Beijing, winning the team event men’s short programme to put the US on top of the standings at the end of day one. The triple world champion scored 111.71 points to easily take victory and was only 0.11 points short of the world record set by his rival, Yuzuru Hanyu — who is yet to compete at the Games.

Ad/> Victory for Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue in the rhythm dance continued an impressive start for the Americans, with Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier coming third in the pair short programme. Beijing 2022Beijing Spotlight: Chen 'unintentionally pushed’ by rival Hanyu21 HOURS AGO The Russian Olympic Committee sit second, following a disappointing showing from rhythm dance favourites Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, who could only finish second in that event.

Hosts China set a world record in the pair skating short programme, as Sui Wenjing and Han Cong scored 82.83 points to finish ahead of Russian world champions Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov. Chen’s display was a huge improvement on an error-strewn display at Pyeongchang 2018, where he fell in the team event and took that form into the individual short programme.

A brilliant free skate was not enough for him to land a spot on the podium on that occasion, but he now goes into his battle with Hanyu with decent momentum. /> Performing to ‘La Boheme’, Chen opened with a quadruple toe loop and easily landed a triple axel — which has caused him some issues in the past.