Team USA’s Olympic figure skating champion Nathan Chen won’t defend his Olympic title at Milano Cortina 2026, opting to go to medical school instead.
While he does not consider himself retired, the 26-year-old believes now is the right time to explore new avenues in his evolving career.
Chen reached the height of his discipline three years ago when he clinched an individual gold, before helping the US to a team title.
“I just want to open the doors to kind of see what’s the best sort of approach for me,” he told the LA Times.
“And frankly, at this point in time in my life, I’ve already accomplished enough in skating that I’m quite satisfied with my career.”
A three-time Olympic medallist and three-time World champion, Chen is now in the process of applying for medical school.
This career move is inspired by his desire to help people – looking at cardiology or oncology as potential areas of speciality.
“The basis of being a doctor, I think, is to help people,” dded Chen, who is also involved with his nonprofit organisation, Youth Taking Strides (YTS).
“I think that’s something that I didn’t necessarily feel as an athlete, that I felt was a little bit lacking, and I get a bit of that doing YTS.”
Dubbed the ‘Quad King’ for his notorious quadruple jumps, Chen is content with passing his crown and supporting Team USA’s pursuit of gold from the sidelines.