Winter Olympics: Nathan Chen leads & Yuzuru Hanyu falters in men's figure skating

American Nathan Chen delivered a stunning short program to lead the men's figure skating but defending champion Yuzuru Hanyu's medal chances were severely dented at Beijing 2022.

The showdown between the Japanese double Olympic champion and the three-time world champion is one of the most keenly anticipated of these Games.

But Hanyu missed his opening jump — a quadruple salchow — and could only score 95.15 to sit eighth.

The decisive free skate is on Thursday.

It was a different story to four years ago when pre-Games favourite Chen failed to land a single jump in his short program as nerves got the better of the then 18-year-old.

Since then the 'Quad King' has dominated the sport, winning three successive world championships, but still had an Olympic point to prove.

And he did it in spectacular fashion, with a season's best score of 113.97 for an elegant routine where he nailed every jump and spin in style.

Two other Japanese skaters, Yuma Kagiyama and Shoma Uno are second and third before Thursday's free skate.

Hanyu, who had an ankle injury in the run-up to these Games, will need something special to rescue his medal hopes — and he could deliver that in the shape of a historic first.

Nicknamed the 'Ice Prince', he has vowed to attempt to become the first skater to successfully land a quadruple axel — which is in fact four and a half rotations of the body — in competition.