Olympics: Nathan Chen's figure skating medal hopes are over; Adam Rippon shines
Nathan Chen arguably had the roughest night of all the big-name Americans who struggled Thursday
Seventeenth. That's definitely not where American figure skater Nathan Chen expected to be at the 2018 Winter Olympics after Friday's men's short program in South Korea.
Chen, the two-time United States champion who entered his first Olympics with so much hype, followed up a rough showing in the team competition with an even rougher outing on Thursday night's primetime NBC broadcast. He missed on all of his jumps and looked tentative, finishing 17th.
#TeamUSA needs a hug tonight. Forget about today. Tomorrow is another day! #NathanChen #MikaelaShiffrin #WinterOlympics2018 #olympics 🇺🇸 #PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/tdm7xJwYBS
— Francis: DisneyVista (@DisneyVista) February 16, 2018
#Olympics Nathan Chen must be like pic.twitter.com/UKCO02Wt4w
— Chaise M. Rasheed (@cmr4to) February 16, 2018
When you stay up super late to watch Nathan Chen and he chokes #Olympics2018 pic.twitter.com/RPaPVD3g8S
— ashley harmon (@ashleyharmon2) February 16, 2018
My roommate and I just watched Nathan Chen’s short from the championship, and it’s making me EVEN MORE DEPRSSED. #Olympics pic.twitter.com/BvjcKMYvaZ
— Ria (@freetolive603) February 16, 2018
The upside? Chen is just 18, and he's got plenty more Olympics ahead of him to make up for his stumbles in Pyeongchang so far. Still, in the moment, it's tough.
The defending Olympic gold medalist, Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, was the big star of the short program, winning with an Olympic-record 111.68 points. Spain's Javier Fernandez was second at 107.58 and Japan's Shoma Uno was third at 104.17, followed by China's Jin Boyang at 103.32.
Yuzuru Hanyu, take a bow. The Japanese skater turns in the night's top score in the men's short program. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/fmMl0BMYXF pic.twitter.com/RMqnIulyaW
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 16, 2018
Yuzuru Hanyu makes it RAIN Winnie-the-Pooh bears. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/fmMl0C4Amf pic.twitter.com/x9tdV0CLPB
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 16, 2018
According to the live NBC broadcast, Hanyu was out of training for two months with an ankle injury before ramping up for the Olympics. Another star of the night was Adam Rippon, who skated flawlessly and had the crowd in the palm of his hand, but with no quad jumps in his routine, wound up seventh.
Adam Rippon's skating cleared my skin, watered my crops and cured my depression. God I just love him #Olympics
— elizabeth p. (@lizziparks) February 16, 2018
YAAAAAAAAS ADAM RIPPON DID THE DAMN THING pic.twitter.com/y8FVht0cr0
— Chance (@CMaginness) February 16, 2018
ADAM. RIPPON. pic.twitter.com/1FUIJO1TkB
— Meredity (@Merbeargrylls) February 16, 2018
They gave Adam Rippon one red mark and honestly I think that was a crime. Someone is going to jail for that because he was amazing. #Olympics #TeamUSA
— Xuxa 🎃 Sushi (@Drifl0on) February 16, 2018
Those judges better give Adam Rippon his points. Why am I at home like this? Bc he went hard and took us all to the club. pic.twitter.com/lH9opCWSEq
— wheels around wakanda (@C0URTNEE) February 16, 2018
Could @Adaripp have paw-ssibly been more dazzling? #WinterOlympics (🎥: @katwman2) pic.twitter.com/ijosAYDgPC
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 16, 2018
.@Adaripp's excitement level: Meryl Streep.
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 16, 2018
😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/yhq3VMaPSP
The other big winner on Thursday night? Johnny Weir's hair, which had Twitter in hysterics.
SHUT IT DOWN the winner of the men’s short program is Johnny Weir’s hair #PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/gzTKdmW88a
— Yasmin Tuazon (@yasminsterAbbey) February 16, 2018
Can we just pause a moment and appreciate #JohnnyWeir hair tonight........ 😍 #PeyongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/gycTt0a8VJ
— That Lady (@Bitch_NextDoor1) February 16, 2018
Johnny Weir's hair piece is a war crime
— JAke a look, y'all (@JakeMHS) February 16, 2018
















