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Legendary United States figure skater Nathan Chen will not be competing in the 2026 Olympics.
The two-time gold medalist will instead attend medical school during the time of the next Olympics, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“I just want to explore opportunities to determine the best path for me,” Chen shared with the outlet. “Honestly, at this stage in my life, I’ve achieved plenty in skating and am content with my career accomplishments.”
The figure skater from Salt Lake City has already been doing work in the classroom during his competing days.
Chen holds a degree in statistics and data science from Yale.
As he embarks on his new journey in medical school, Chen mentioned to the Times his interest in studying cardiology or oncology, particularly in connection with genetics.
Chen has not ruled out competing in figure skating in the future.
But even if he doesn’t skate again, he has plenty of accolades to show.
Chen is a three-time world champion figure skater who has been to two Olympics.
In 2022, he brought home two gold medals.
His most significant achievement was winning the individual short program with a score of 113.97.
During that year at the Olympics, Chen landed two quadruple jumps, and he didn’t miss a single move in the individual program.
Other than the two gold medals he won, that score of 113.97 is now a world record in the short program.
Still, Team USA will be skating in 2026 at the Milano Olympics, with competition starting in February.