After a disappointing finish at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, figure skater Karen Chen vowed that she would be back.
She finished 11th and then withdrew from the 2018 World Championships that came just one month after the Olympics. At the time, she was also recovering from an injury, but always had 2022 in the back of her mind.
"When I got off the ice (in Pyeongchang)," Chen said recently, "I remember telling myself, 'You’ve got to go for another four years. This was not your dream.' "
She then enrolled at Cornell and continued to battle with the physical toll of skating and compete on both the domestic and international stage. Faced with adversity, however, she said she started to reconsider and even contemplated calling it quits. She leaned on her family and decided, ultimately, that she would work once more toward an Olympic triumph.
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"The jumbling of skating and school and managing that gave me quite a bit of clarity about how much I love the sport and that I wanted to give myself my best shot at making the team again," Chen said. "That fire just relit inside me, and I knew that it’s only going to get harder as you get older, so now is the time to chase those dreams."
Who is Karen Chen?
Chen is an American women's figure skater. She competed for the U.S. at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and is a member of the Beijing 2022 women's figure skating team.
Chen is also the author of Finding the Edge: My Life on the Ice, a memoir published in 2017 marketed for young adults.
“I wish I could remember the first time I laced up a pair of skating boots and slid out onto that big, frozen circle,” Chen wrote in her book. “After all, who wouldn’t want to remember the moment they fell in love?”
How old is Karen Chen?
Chen was born on August 16, 1999 and is currently 22 years old.
How tall is Karen Chen?
Chen is 5 feet tall.
Where is Karen Chen from?
She was born in Freemont, California where she is the oldest of two children (Jeffrey) and is the daughter of Hsiu-Hui Tseng and Chih-Hsiu Chen.
Where does Karen Chen live?
Chen lives in Freemont, where she grew up and is a member of the Peninsula Skating club. She is is on leave from Cornell, where she is majoring in human biology, health, and society and trains in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
When will Karen Chen compete in Beijing?
Chen competed in the team event, where the U.S. is all but certain to win a medal. The women's single short program is set for Feb. 15, while the long program and gold medal event is set for Feb. 17.
What is unique about Karen Chen's style?
Known for her artistry in her elements, Chen actually tweaked her program after some early-season struggles and debuted it halfway through the schedule. Her footwork, in particular on spins, spirals and jumping passes, is a strength where she often collects points over her competitors on grade of execution.
Chen has fallen short, at times, with inconsistencies and underrotating some of her jumps. But her style is almost musical and her movements seem to be carefully selected and timed to the songs she selects for her program.
How many Olympic medals does Karen Chen have?
Chen does not have any Olympic medals. She finished 11th in the individual program at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.
What other competitions has Karen Chen won?
Chen emerged as a figure skater to watch after the 2017 U.S. national championship that was held in Kansas City, Missouri.
Karen Chen set a record score of 72.85 in the short program at the 2017 national championship. In 2015, 2018 and 2021, she won bronze medals at the event. Later in 2017, Chen finished just out of medal contention at the Worlds, with a fourth-place finish. She also finished fourth in the 2021 World Championship, in her second appearance in the event.
Most recently, Chen won silver at the 2022 U.S. figure skating nationals earlier in January, after being edged out by Mariah Bell. Chen trailed Bell by only 2.4 points.
Contributing: Christine Brennan; Tom Schad; Associated Press
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karen Chen at the Winter Olympics: Get to know Team USA figure skater
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