Despite some errors at the Grand Prix finals, Nathan Chen clinched the gold medal at the end of the competition. Chen made history by becoming the first American to win the world championship since 2009, bouncing back from a fall on his quad Lutz during the free skate earlier in the event. His total score of 282.42 secured him the top spot.
U.S. skaters Zachary Donohue and Madison Hubbell impressed with their highest score in the rhythm dance, achieving a career-best score of 80.53. Chen, a 19-year-old, admitted to a mistake in the quad toe combination of a loop-triple toe loop during the short program on Thursday.
Reflecting on his performance, Chen acknowledged not delivering his best programs but highlighted the need to move forward and focus on improvement rather than dwell on past mistakes. He quickly turned his attention to returning to school at Yale, mentioning upcoming academic commitments like a Spanish oral exam.
Shoma Uno of Japan secured the second spot with 275.10 points, noting room for improvement despite a strong performance. South Korea’s Jun-Hwan Cha claimed the bronze medal in his debut at the finals with a score of 263.49, expressing satisfaction with his performance and training under renowned coach Brian Orser in Toronto.
