figure skating

For Young Skaters With Olympic Dreams, Nathan Chen Is an Inspiration

Young athletes at the Skating Club of Boston are watching figure skater Nathan Chen closely

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At The Skating Club of Boston, up-and-coming skaters were getting their practice in Monday night before racing home to watch the men's figure skating competition.

"I love watching Nathan Chen perform," said Olympic hopeful Miriam Fulop. "I really think his quads are very fascinating."

Olympics hopefuls study Nathan Chen's every move.

"It's so fun to see if you slow-mo it and you look at his takeoff, his landing, and also just learning from his facial expressions and his edges," said Olympic hopeful Sofia Jarmoc.

The skaters are ready to see the drama unfold.

"It's just so exciting," said Olympic hopeful Jinna Han. "It's like, who's going to win, what's going to happen, because anything can happen at the Olympics."

Simon Shnapir has been there. The pairs specialist won a bronze medal in the figure skating team competition in 2014.

He says Chen is someone students can look up to.

"He doesn't pretend to be something he's not," said Shnapir, who's a coach at The Skating Club of Boston. "He's very down-to-Earth, he's willing to talk to his fans, he interacts with the kids, and I think that creates a connection for the younger skaters."

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