22-year-old Nathan Chen became an Olympic gold medalist at the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. Not only did Chen win a gold medal, but he also set a new record with his short program score.

Now, with the 2022 Winter Olympics finished, all athletes have left Beijing after the exhibition gala. Nathan Chen arrived home with his close childhood friend Mariah Bell, who was also his teammate. In fact, Bell, too, is a figure skater, and the 2022 U.S. national champion.

The two Olympians talked about their experience, returning home, and how it feels to watch each other skate.

Nathan Chen and Mariah Bell don’t like to see each other skate

Nathan Chen and Mariah Bell returned to the USA after the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 ended. For Chen, it was an incredibly successful Olympics, as he won his first gold medal.

In fact, this was very much a redemptive Olympics for Nathan Chen, as he had looked to make up for his bronze-winning performance from 2018.

Chen and Bell have known each other for years now, both of them being nationally popular on the figure skating circuit. “It’s been so surreal,” Nathan said, describing the feeling of competing and winning at the Olympics.

Chen expressed how it has been really special for him “to be able to share this (experience) with (his) closest friends”. Moreover, his friends are “people that (he) now consider(s) family”.

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When asked how hard it is to watch each other skate, both Nathan Chen and Mariah Bell were on the same page. “It’s so stressful,” Chen said. In fact, he admitted that he would “much rather skate than watch her”.

Similarly, Bell had the same views. “I like watching him skate, I don’t like watching him compete,” the 25-year-old Olympian expressed. To this, Chen agreed. “I agree, that’s fair,” he said, as both of them chuckled.

Chen and Bell were grateful for each other in Beijing

Owing to the global pandemic, the families and close friends of athletes (who weren’t Olympians themselves) were not allowed to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Thus, Mariah and Nathan described how it’s been special to have each other in Beijing. After all, the athletes did not have their families and having a close friend they’ve known almost their entire life helped.

“It made all the difference,” Bell shared. “It just made everything feel a little stressful,” she said. “I don’t know what it was like to be in his position, but I’m sure it was very stressful,” Mariah said about Nathan.

However, having each other’s company was a source of comfort for both Chen and Bell. “It just made everything feel a little bit more like home,” she said.

Clearly, the two childhood friends hold each other in high regard and cherish each other’s presence. Even for an Olympic champion, a friend’s company and warmth make all the difference.

WATCH THIS STORY: Nathan Chen Gets Gold: U.S. Figure Skater Dazzles to Win at 2022 Winter Olympics