BEIJING, China — There's been a lot of talk about Nathan Chen, but have you heard about Karen Chen?
The American figure skater – no relation to Nathan – was at the Olympics four years ago in Pyeongchang, then disappeared from the ice to take time off and reflect on the sport she loves.
Now she's back and better than ever, just in time for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Training on the ice in Colorado Springs, Chen keeps her focus on the moment.
"At this point, I'm focusing on what I can control and what I can do in this moment," she said.
Over the years she's had a lot of moments. Four years ago in South Korea, Chen was one of the best figure skaters on the planet. Her performance at the 2018 Winter Olympics wasn't what she hoped for, and then she disappeared from the ice.
"I wasn't happy with how my Olympic performance went," she admitted. "I was struggling, and I thought about stepping away from the sport."
Healing from injuries, Chen went to college and could have left skating for good, but she decided to give it one more try.
"In all that chaos, I think it gave me clarity, and I realized I loved skating and wanted to give it another go," she said.
Now at 22, Chen is in her moment. She finished second at the U.S. Championships in Nashville and is now heading to her second Olympics where she's ready to enjoy every moment.
"At the end of the day, I realized I love skating," she said.
Chen has a little brother, Jeffrey. They grew up watching figure skating together, and he also competes in ice dancing.
Jeffrey made the junior grand prix finals and competed in the U.S. Championships, showing there's plenty of talent in that family.
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