Resurfaced Clip of Olympian Nathan Chen as a Toddler Shows Major Child Prodigy Vibes
He was skating at expert levels before most of us could walk.
The 2022 Winter Olympics have officially started. As we glance at the schedule to find out when our athletes are competing, all eyes are going to be on Nathan Chen. The American figure skater is considered one of the favorites to win in men’s figure skating at the Beijing Olympics this year. And it seems this was his destiny from the very beginning.
We know someone can’t become a world-class athlete without a few things: skills, talent, and determination. Anyone can learn the skills to develop a talent for something. But it’s that determination that really can set athletes apart. And Nathan has had heaps of all three qualities since he was very young.
On Thursday, February 3, NBC Olympics social media pages shared a vintage clip of Olympian Nathan Chen when he was only 3 years old. The clip quickly went viral not only because it’s someone we’re all rooting for to win now and all toddlers are adorable. But because he can skate – at three years old – better than most kids at that age can run.
“Nathan Chen started skating on a practice rink designed for the Salt Lake City Olympics back in 2002, and that journey has taken him all the way here,” the voice-over on the video says. Watching the video, it’s not surprising that Nathan went on to become the youngest skater at the 2010 US Championships when he was only 10 years old.
Now, Nathan is 22 and he’s got a lot more athletic accolades behind him. He’s now a three-time world champion and was the first American since Scott Hamilton to win a third consecutive men’s title at the World Figure Skating Championships. He also took a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
The games this year are already on a good start for Nathan who is competing in the Team Event – Men’s Single Skating – Short Program. Nathan has already grabbed the second-highest short program score ever at the team event on February 3, landing in the first place which is a great place to be at this time in the competition.
