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PyeongChang 2018: Top 10 moments from Olympic figure skating

By Veronica Elizabeth Bruno

USA's Nathan Chen competes in the men's single skating free skating of the figure skating event during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung on February 17, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Roberto SCHMIDT (Photo credit should read ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images)
USA's Nathan Chen competes in the men's single skating free skating of the figure skating event during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung on February 17, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Roberto SCHMIDT (Photo credit should read ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images) /
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PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 17: Bronze medalist Javier Fernandez of Spain during the victory ceremony following the Figure Skating Men Free Program on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Ice Arena on February 17, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Amin Mohammad Jamali/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 17: Bronze medalist Javier Fernandez of Spain during the victory ceremony following the Figure Skating Men Free Program on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Ice Arena on February 17, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Amin Mohammad Jamali/Getty Images) /

8. Shoma Uno and Javier Fernandez win Silver and Bronze

Both Japan’s Shoma Uno and Spain’s Javier Fernandez dazzled in their programs. Twenty-year-old Umo won his first Olympic medal, collecting Silver. Fernandez’s beautiful skate culminated in Bronze, the first figure skating medal for his country, and only Spain’s fourth in the Winter Olympics.

Demonstrated that he’s quite the showman, Fernandez also brought down the house with his hilarious and extremely entertaining gala skate afterwards, complete with a full set of props. It’s clear that the Spaniard will be a favorite in figure skating tours.

But the free skate belonged to American Nathan Chen, who thrilled the audience with improvised quadruples—a record five perfectly landed, six attempted—that earned him the highest score of the night. It just couldn’t overpower the dismal score of the short program, which was riddled with missed jumps and mistakes.

However, the free skate was simple unforgettable and incredible enough to catapult him from 17th place after the short to finishing fifth. If the short program had only been a fraction better, his fearless free skate would pushed him to a podium finish for sure. A truly missed opportunity, but Chen demonstrated the best in men’s figure skating with that final skate.

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