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Watch: The performances from Nathan Chen, Chloe Kim that scored the US two more gold medals

By Shannon Larson Globe Staff,Updated February 10, 2022, 3:12 a.m.
Chloe Kim and Nathan Chen.Wires

Figure skater Nathan Chen and snowboarder Chloe Kim cruised to the Olympic podium on Thursday with dominant performances in their respective sports, blowing away the competition with apparent ease and earning two more gold medals for the United States at the Beijing Games.

Chen completed his four-year odyssey to the prized medal with an almost flawless free skate, landing all five of his quads during his “Rocketman” program, set to a film score by Elton John. His routine inside the Capitol Indoor Stadium left the small crowd cheering on their feet and earned him 332.60 points — only three shy of his own world record. With the standout routine, he became the first American champ to stand on top of the podium since Evan Lysacek in 2010.

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Meanwhile, fellow American Chloe Kim soared past the competition — both literally and figuratively — with one of her best performances to date on the halfpipe during a strong opening run, earning the defending champion her second gold medal at only 21 years old. No one else in the field came close to matching the skill level or height of her tricks, which included a front and backside 1080. Even Kim appeared shocked by how well the routine went.

With both Chen and Kim racking up two more gold medals, the United States now has three in total, following snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis scoring the first during the snowboardcross on Wednesday.

Here are some snippets of the stunning performances:

Although NBC has blocked the playback of both Chen and Kim’s performances on other websites, you can watch their full routines below.

Click here to view Chen’s routine in the men’s individual figure skating, and click here to see Kim’s winning run during the women’s halfpipe.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

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Shannon Larson can be reached at shannon.larson@globe.com. Follow her @shannonlarson98.

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