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Salt Lake’s Nathan Chen struggles in short program at Olympics, finishes in 17th place

(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake City's Nathan Chen falls while competing in the Men Single Skating Short Program at Gangneung Ice Arena during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. Chen finished with a score of 82.27.

(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake City's Nathan Chen falls while competing in the Men Single Skating Short Program at Gangneung Ice Arena during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. Chen finished with a score of 82.27.

Gangneung, South Korea • The song is called “Nemesis.”

As it turns out, nobody can battle Nathan Chen like Nathan Chen himself.

The soundtrack to another Olympic stumble is unfortunately too fitting for America’s figure skating prodigy. He had a week to correct the disastrous Olympic intro in the men’s short program in the team event last Friday, a week to stew on the mistakes, to turn the page and resume the role of the sport’s dynamic high-flying virtuoso.

As the lyrics to the chorus blared throughout the Gangneung Ice Arena, “Nemesis is, nemesis is, nemesis is,” Chen was, again, not close to his usual self. The adversary Chen faces here is not Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu, the reigning Olympic gold medalist, or Spain’s Javier Fernandez, a former world champion. The only one who can get in his way is Chen. But, as noted time and time again when the cycle returns every four years, the expression remains relevant: This is the Olympics.

This comes with the territory. One-upping opposing skaters is a fraction of the pressure in this sport.

The battle starts and ends within, to manage the nerves, to overcome them in a three-minute span. Above all, to deliver the sort of aesthetically-appealing, Olympic-medal worthy display on the ice that has five multicolored rings buried beneath the rink. It’s been a heartbreaking go for Salt Lake’s skating son. That might be an understatement, too.

Chen didn’t land a single jump attempt in the short program, finishing an astounding 17th (82.27). The two short programs here in South Korea have been the lowest of his senior international career. He landed again on the ice, not his blades, on his first quadruple jump combination attempt, bobbled and stepped out on the second quad toe loop attempt and later stepped out on the usual thorn in his side, the triple axel.

“It was just rough,” he said. “Nothing really clicked together, but I did all the right stuff going into it. It should’ve been different, but stuff happens. Again, just have to take it as what it is and move on.”

His warm-up routine was perfect, his quads were landed, he looked comfortable.

Then?

“Honestly, not sure,” Chen said. “Going to have to think about it.”

He stormed through the Grand Prix fall series, winning every competition, dominated again at the U.S. championships, which doubled as Olympic team trials in early January, looking every bit of the “Quad King” he’s been labeled. Now all the talk of landing as many as five or six quads in one program don’t matter all that much, because he didn’t land anything when the stakes were highest.

He was hesitant, landings were again uncharacteristically erratic, and the confidence he exuded during this same routine was nowhere to be found.

The Olympic stage and everything it represents is indeed the easiest answer to why Chen, who a month ago seemed like a near-lock for a medal, hasn’t delivered the outings the sport’s accustomed to seeing. Some ventured to dub him the definitive gold-medal frontrunner with Hanyu nursing a nagging ankle injury that had limited his own set of quad attempts entering these Games.

On Friday, the champ delivered to ear-piecing cheers, rocketing to first place, the definition of Olympic mettle and grace. Chen had to follow, stepping out onto the ice in a shower of plush Winnie the Pooh Bears. Hanyu has long had an accompanying specialized Winnie the Pooh tissue box he takes to every competition. It felt scripted, the promising Olympic rookie ready to challenge the king of the sport, swiftly reminded how far he has to go.

“I’ve skated after him before and skated well,” Chen said, “so obviously that didn’t happen here. I don’t think that was really too much of a role.”

He’s beat Hanyu before. It’s doable. Chen’s best is the best. But, this is the Olympics.

All of his quads, when delivered upon, guarantee a top-three finish. Chen’s also worked relentlessly the past year to work on his artistic display, long considered the secondary portion of his skating. He partnered with Vera Wang to design his Olympic costume, a black-and-white ensemble that blended with and juxtaposed the bright backdrop of the Olympic ice.

Chen’s nemesis resurfaced again Friday in South Korea, eliminating any chance of a medal he seemed primed to earn in his Olympic debut. He has 24 hours to digest this and regroup for the free skate Saturday, if regrouping is even possible now.

“I’ve never been in this position before,” he said, “so I don’t really know exactly what to do.”

The Olympics show zero mercy, and on Friday afternoon, showed none to Salt Lake’s prodigy.