On Thursday, Nathan Chen captured the only thing eluding him in an otherwise sparkling career.
Despite holding several world records and dominating World Championships since 2018, the 22-year-old American never won Olympic gold, most notably settling for bronze in the team event and fifth place in the singles in Pyeongchang.
In Beijing, Chen dominated his competition with a final combined score of 332.60 — 22 points better than Japanese silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama — cementing his place among the all-time greats and boosting his already strong marketability.
- He’s the seventh American man to win gold in figure skating — and the first since Evan Lysacek (2010 in Vancouver).
- Chen is a three-time world champion and has won six national titles.
- He went 1,344 days from 2018-21 without losing a skating competition.
- In 2018, he landed the first quadruple jump in Olympic history.
Despite dwindling Olympic TV viewership — the Beijing Games are on track to be the lowest-rated Winter Games in history — Chen will continue to cash in as the face of the sport.
The “Quad King” has long-term endorsement deals with brands including Visa, Nike, Toyota, and Bridgestone, contributing to an estimated net worth of $2.5 million.
Chen is clearly unbeatable right now — and he’ll only be 26 at Italy’s 2026 Winter Games.
