Karen Chen was born on August 16,1999,in Fremont,California,to Hsiu-Hui Tseng and Chih-Hsiu Chen.[2][3] Her parents moved to the United States from Taiwan.[4][5] She has a younger brother,Jeffrey,who also competes for the U.S. in ice dance.[5] She was homeschooled via Connections Academy in high school.[5] Chen has expressed interest in majoring in the medical field.[6] She was admitted to Cornell University's School of Human Ecology for the Fall 2019 semester majoring in Human Biology,Health,and Society on a pre-med track.[7][8] Chen originally did not plan to take any gap years or defer her education while preparing for the 2022 Winter Olympics,but decided to take a two-year leave of absence after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.[9][10][11] She is set to graduate in spring 2025 and plans to work in physical therapy to help fellow figure skaters.[12]
Chen's mentor is 1992 Olympic Champion Kristi Yamaguchi,who shares a hometown with her.[13] Chen published a memoir titled Finding the Edge:My Life on the Ice in November 2017,in which she revealed that she suffers from spondylolisthesis.[14] Chen enjoys painting and is a fan of the Japanese character Totoro.[3] On 2019 International Women's Day,she was chosen to be one of eight POWERGIRLs that serve as brand ambassadors for social fitness blogger Cassey Ho's activewear company,POPFLEX Active.[15]
In September 2024,she announced her engagement to boyfriend,Len van Deurzen.[16]
Career
Early career
Chen began learning to skate in 2005.[2] She won gold on the national intermediate level in 2011 and then gold competing as a novice in 2012. The following season,she competed on the junior level at the 2013 U.S. Championships,placing fourth. She made her international debut at the 2013 Gardena Spring Trophy,where she won gold on the novice level.
In the 2013–14 season,Chen received her first ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) assignments. She won bronze in Riga,Latvia,followed by gold in Košice,Slovakia,and qualified for the JGP Final.[17] While practicing a triple Lutz,[18] she sustained a type three tibia fracture in her right ankle.[4][19] The injury led her to withdraw from the JGP Final. Chen spent four weeks on crutches and resumed training in mid-December.[18] She withdrew from the junior event at the 2014 U.S. Championships after placing fifth in the short program.[19] At the 2014 World Junior Championships in Sofia,Bulgaria,she placed sixth in the short program,ninth in the free skate,and ninth overall.
Chen won the gold medal at the 2017 U.S. Championships after placing first in both the short program and free skate.[23][24] She set a new U.S. record with her short program score of 72.82.
Chen rebounded at the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships,placing fifth in the short program with a score of 69.98. She then placed sixth in the free program with a score of 129.31. With a combined score of 199.29,Chen skated to a fourth-place finish overall in her first appearance at the World Championships. Her placement,combined with a seventh-place finish from teammate Ashley Wagner,qualified Team USA three spots for the 2018 Olympics and 2018 World Figure Skating Championships.
2017–18 season:Pyeongchang Olympics
Chen began her season at the CS's U.S. International Figure Skating Classic,placing 3rd overall for the second year in a row. Before beginning competition in her Grand Prix series,Chen also performed a free skate at the Japan Open helping Team North America earn the bronze medal with a 6th-place finish.
Two weeks before her first Grand Prix event,Chen abandoned her "Carmen"-themed free skate program and replaced it with a program she choreographed herself,including music from the 1978 film Slow Dancing in the Big City.[25] With her new program,Chen placed 7th overall at the 2017 Skate Canada International.[26]
Chen competed in her second Grand Prix event at 2017 Skate America and placed ninth in the short program after failing to land a triple loop.[27] She improved to eighth place after the free skating,from which teammate Ashley Wagner withdrew due to an ankle infection.[28]
Chen withdrew from early season events and her Grand Prix assignments,2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki and 2018 Rostelecom Cup,following an injury during the off-season.[32] She returned to competition at the 2018 CS Tallinn Trophy,where she finished ninth in the short program. Chen withdrew from the free skate due to injury.[33] She announced her subsequent withdrawal from the 2019 U.S. Championships to focus on her health in early January.[34] Chen later revealed that she had been suffering from a stress fracture in her right foot.[35] In 2019,she also announced that she would be attending Cornell University in the fall,as well as returning to competition during the 2019–20 season.
At her first Grand Prix event of the season and first major international event since the 2018 Olympic Games,2019 Skate America,Chen placed sixth in the short program and tenth in the free skate to finish eighth overall while battling a cold and sleep deprivation.[36] She told media that despite her struggles balancing school and skating,“I do really enjoy everything and I think I made the right decision.”[36] At the 2019 NHK Trophy,Chen placed third in the short program ahead of reigning Olympic champion Alina Zagitova of Russia but struggled in the free skate to finish ninth overall.
Chen earned personal bests in all three segments to achieve a seventh-place finish at 2020 Four Continents Championships,her highest ever after previously placing 12th twice. She told the media after her free skate,"I am proud of myself for the last competition of the season. Ending on a high note is exactly what I wanted to do."[40]
2020–21 season:Return to Worlds
Chen did not enroll at Cornell for her sophomore year,explaining that classes meeting only virtually meant "it wasn’t worth paying full tuition and not having the whole college experience," and instead returned to training full-time in Colorado Springs.[41] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic,the ISU opted to make assignments for the Grand Prix based on training location to minimize international travel;Chen was correspondingly assigned to compete at 2020 Skate America.[42] She placed fourth in the short program,underrotating the triple toe loop in her jump combination.[43] She was second in the free skate but remained in fourth place overall.[44] Shortly after that,she competed in the 2020 Las Vegas Invitational,a domestic team event,and placed fourth among the ladies to help Team Johnny finish second behind Team Tara.
In March at the 2021 World Championships,Chen skated two solid programs and placed fourth. She was fourth in the short program and sixth in the free skate.[48] Her placement,combined with Tennell's ninth-place finish,earned the United States three spots for the 2022 World Championships,as well as the opportunity to secure three spots for ladies' singles at the 2022 Winter Olympics via the Olympic qualifying event. Chen's role in saving the third American ladies' spot paralleled her performance at the 2017 World Championships,where she also placed fourth to help secure three spots for the 2018 Winter Olympics.[48][11]
Chen then competed at the 2021 World Team Trophy,where she finished sixth in both segments to help Team USA win the silver medal.[49]
Assigned to begin the Grand Prix at the 2021 Skate Canada International,Chen was sixth in the short program. She was tenth in the free skate after falling twice and having several jumps called underrotated,and she dropped to tenth place overall. She said afterward,"practices have been solid,so it's been tough to leave Vancouver with a program like that."[52] At her second Grand Prix event,the 2021 Internationaux de France,she placed fifth overall after ranking fifth in both the short program and the free skate. She reiterated afterward that she was working on translating her improved practices to competition.[53]
Entering the 2022 U.S. Championships hoping to make her second Olympic team,Chen placed second in the short program,narrowly behind Mariah Bell but a few points clear of third-place Alysa Liu,who withdrew before the free skate due to a positive COVID-19 test. Chen was second in the free skate as well despite four underrotated jumps and took the silver medal,the only senior podium placement she had not previously occupied.[54] The following day she was named to the American Olympic team.[55] Chen is the first U.S. women's singles skater since Sasha Cohen in 2002 and 2006 to qualify for back-to-back Olympic teams.[56]
Upon arrival at the 2022 Winter Olympics,Chen was chosen as the American entry for the women's segments of the Olympic team event. With the United States narrowly in the lead after the first three short program segments,Chen skated her short program under significant pressure but faltered,underrotating the second half of her jump combination and falling on an underrotated triple loop. She ranked fifth,four ordinals below Russian skater Kamila Valieva,as a result of which the United States dropped behind the ROC team to take the silver medal. This was her first Olympic medal. However following a positive doping test of Russia's gold medalist Kamila Valieva,the team members were not awarded their medals,pending an investigation.[57] In January 2024,the Court of Arbitration for Sport disqualified Valieva,and the gold medal is projected to be awarded to the U.S. team.[58] Speaking afterward about skating under pressure,Chen remarked "at the end of the day,it's coming from myself. I want to skate well for my team,for myself,my coach,my family,for all these people." However,she said she was pleased that she had recovered well from the fall.[59] She competed again in the free skating portion of the team event,earning 131.52 points for a fourth-place finish,and winning the gold medal with the U.S. team.[60][61] In the short program of the women's event,Chen made the same error she did in the team event short program,falling on her triple loop attempt,placing thirteenth in the segment.[62] Seventeenth in the free skate with multiple jump errors,she dropped to sixteenth overall.[63]
At the 2022 World Championships,Chen placed eighth in the short program after singling her triple loop attempt.[64] Eighth in the free skate,Chen also came eighth overall.[65]
Post-competitive career
Following the 2021–22 figure skating season,Chen decided to focus on her studies at Cornell University. In fall 2022,she began competing at the collegiate level in the solo dance discipline while training at the Cornell Figure Skating Club. Regarding this,Chen stated,"Solo dance is just much more flexible. I’m not really worried about if the judges like my music or if my coach likes it. Similar to what I would do for shows,I just pick music that I like and then go from there. So it gives me a chance to be creative."[12]
Ashley Elisabeth Wagner is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 2016 World silver medalist,a 2014 Olympic bronze medalist in the team event,the 2012 Four Continents champion,a three-time Grand Prix Final medalist,a thirteen-time Grand Prix medalist,and a three-time U.S. national champion. Wagner competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi,Russia,and placed 7th. At the junior level,Wagner is a two-time World Junior bronze medalist,the 2006-07 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist,a two-time Junior Grand Prix medalist,and the 2007 U.S. junior bronze medalist.
Madison Hubbell is an American former ice dancer. She competed with Zachary Donohue from 2011 to 2022. With him,she is a two-time 2022 Winter Olympics medalist,a four-time World medalist,the 2018 Grand Prix Final champion,the 2014 Four Continents champion,and a three-time U.S. national champion.
Mirai Aileen Nagasu is an American figure skater. She is a 2018 Olympic Games team event bronze medalist,three-time Four Continents medalist,the 2007 JGP Final champion,a two-time World Junior medalist,and a seven-time U.S. national medalist.
Jason Lawrence Brown is an American figure skater. He is a nine-time Grand Prix medalist,a two-time Four Continents medalist,and the 2015 U.S. national champion. Earlier in his career,he became a two-time World Junior medalist,the 2011–12 Junior Grand Prix Final champion,and the 2010 junior national champion.
Angela Wang is an American figure skater. She is the 2017 Bavarian Open champion,a three-time medalist on the ISU Challenger Series,and a three-time medalist on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) series. Her JGP medals include gold from a 2012 competition in Croatia.
Grace Elizabeth Gold,known as Gracie Gold,is an American figure skater. She is a 2014 Olympic bronze medalist in the team event,a six-time Grand Prix medalist,and a two-time U.S. national champion. Gold placed 4th at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi,Russia. At the junior level,Gold is the 2012 World Junior silver medalist,the 2011 JGP Estonia champion,and the 2012 U.S. junior national champion.
Brandon Michael Frazier is an American pair skater. With his skating partner,Alexa Knierim,he is the 2022 World champion,the 2023 World silver medalist,a 2022 Olympic gold medalist in the figure skating team event,the 2022 Grand Prix Final silver medalist,a two-time U.S. National champion,and a three-time Grand Prix gold medalist.
Alexa Paige Knierim is an American pair skater. With her skating partner,Brandon Frazier,she is the 2022 World champion,the 2023 World silver medalist,a 2022 Olympic gold medalist in the figure skating team event,the 2022 Grand Prix Final silver medalist,a two-time U.S. National champion,and a three-time Grand Prix gold medalist.
Polina Edmunds Bast is a retired American figure skater. She is the 2015 Four Continents champion,the 2014 CS U.S. Classic champion,and a two-time U.S. national silver medalist. She represented the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi,finishing 9th.
Amber Elaine Glenn is an American figure skater. She is the 2024 U.S. national champion,the 2024 Grand Prix de France and 2024 Cup of China champion,a two-time ISU Grand Prix bronze medalist,and a three-time ISU Challenger Series medalist. She has finished within the top ten at three ISU Championships.
Vincent Zhou is an American figure skater. He is a 2022 Olympic Games team event gold medalist,a two-time World bronze medalist,the 2019 Four Continents bronze medalist,the 2021 Skate America champion,and a three-time U.S. national silver medalist. He is also the 2017 World Junior champion and the 2013 U.S. junior national champion.
Wakaba Higuchi is a Japanese figure skater. She is a 2022 Olympic team event silver medalist,the 2018 World silver medalist,the 2024 Skate America champion,a three-time Grand Prix silver medalist,a three-time Grand Prix bronze medalist,a three-time Challenger Series medalist,and a five-time Japanese national medalist. On the junior level,she is a two-time World Junior bronze medalist,the 2014–15 Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist,and a two-time Japan Junior national champion.
Mariah Cheyenne Bell is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 2022 U.S. national champion,2020 U.S. national silver medalist,and two-time U.S. national bronze medalist. She is also the 2020 Skate America gold medalist,2016 Skate America silver medalist,the 2019 Internationaux de France bronze medalist,the 2019 Rostelecom Cup bronze medalist,the 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy champion,and the 2016 CS U.S. International Classic silver medalist.
Bradie Tennell is an American figure skater. She is a 2018 Olympic team event bronze medalist,the 2020 Four Continents bronze medalist,the 2018 CS Autumn Classic champion,the 2018 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb champion,and a two-time U.S. national champion.
You Young is a South Korean figure skater. She is the 2020 Four Continents silver medalist,a four-time Grand Prix bronze medalist,a four-time Challenger series medalist,and a five-time South Korean national champion
Lim Eun-soo is a retired South Korean figure skater. She is the 2018 Rostelecom Cup bronze medalist,the two-time CS Asian Open champion,the 2018 CS U.S. Classic silver medalist,and the 2017 South Korean national champion. She has finished within the top ten at three senior ISU Championships.
Starr Andrews is an American figure skater. She is the 2022 Skate Canada International silver medalist,2019 International Challenge Cup silver medalist,2019 Egna Trophy silver medalist,and finished fourth at the 2023 U.S. Nationals. She has finished in the top ten at three ISU Championships and is the first African American woman to win a Grand Prix medal in the singles discipline.
Alysa Liu is an American competitive figure skater. She is the 2022 World bronze medalist,the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy champion,the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy champion,and a two-time U.S. national champion. At age 16,she competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics,placing sixth. At the junior level,Liu is the 2020 World Junior bronze medalist,the 2019–20 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist,a two-time Junior Grand Prix champion,and the 2018 U.S. junior national champion.
The 2019–20 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and ISU Junior Grand Prix Final was held from December 5–8,2019 at the Torino Palavela in Turin,Italy. The combined event was the culmination of two international series —the Grand Prix of Figure Skating and the Junior Grand Prix. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles,ladies' singles,pair skating,and ice dance on the senior and junior levels.
Audrey Sumin Shin is an American figure skater. She is the 2020 Skate America bronze medalist,the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy bronze medalist,and finished fourth at the 2022 Four Continents Championships.
↑ Chen, Karen (July 20, 2017). "Ready for the Olympic season". Karen Chen's official website / Figure Skaters Online. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
United States 
