Nathan Chen competes in the men's free skate program during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Nashville, Tenn., on Jan. 9, 2022. Mark Zaleski/AP Photo
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Nathan Chen had landed some of the most difficult jumps in figure skating, soaring through the air with a dizzying array of quads and flawlessly stringing together incredible combinations to leave the crowd wanting more.
Figures that he would faceplant on a simple step sequence.
