“I came to these games trying to put myself in the mindset of not wanting to go into win. And I think I want to maintain that mindset,”
“Being able to come in with a perspective of being like, ‘Hey, I'm here to have fun, I'm here to enjoy the experience, whatever the result ends up being,’ because of that, [my medals carry] a little bit less weight of emotion. This is just the cherry on top. This is not what defines my career.”
“We all deserve a medal ceremony. We deserve to get that medal and we deserved to get that medal before we left,”
One of the hardest things for Chen was watching his teammates continue to compete amid the controversy and have this added anxiety weighing them down in an already stressful time of their lives and on their bodies. But nothing’s without it’s complications. As a fellow athlete, Chen understands the nuances of the situation and feels the pain that Valieva must be feeling.
What's next for Nathan Chen
For now, Nathan is ready to have a little fun. He’s traveled the world for skating, but has never been on a real vacation. He’s also ready to take some risks; in the past he hasn’t been able to try skiing or snowboarding in fear of injuring himself.