Nathan Chen cements his legacy as the world's best figure skater

Nathan Chen cements his legacy¹ as the world's best figure skater

Transcript²

Nathan Chen wins gold in the men's figure skating competition at the Beijing Olympics. He pulled off five quad³ jumps, and is the first U.S. man to win figure skating's top individual honor since 2010.

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American figure skater Nathan Chen skated to a gold in Beijing today. Wearing a dazzling constellation-themed top, he performed flawlessly to a medley⁴ that included Elton John's "Rocket Man." Chen rewarded audiences with an uncharacteristically beaming smile as he finished his program and then became the seventh U.S. male figure skater to win an individual Olympic gold. NPR's Tom Goldman was in Beijing.

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE⁵: All gold medals looked the same, but there are different feels to each one. There's the, oh, my God, I-just-shocked-the-world gold, and there's the mission-accomplished gold. Nathan Chen seemed to win the second kind today. Before these games, he was one of those Olympians on magazine covers and every list of gold medal favorites. But after he won, 22-year-old Chen still had that pinch-me reaction of a shock-the-world winner.

NATHAN CHEN: I mean, truly, I never imagined I'd be able to make it this far in my career, and it really means the world. And I still, of course, have to take a little bit more time to process everything.

GOLDMAN: Whenever he finishes processing, he'll realize he overcame the unique pressure the favorite feels to put on a gold medal-worthy performance. He says he didn't rid himself of the pressure.

CHEN: I mean, before every event, I certainly am very nervous and thinking about what I can do and what I should do, what I need to do. And that was certainly no different here.

GOLDMAN: But when his program started, Chen locked in on the mental cues he uses to execute on the ice. He hit all five of his quadruple revolution jumps - one was a bit shaky - and delivered his usual mix of athleticism⁶ and grace and fun, with a big assist to the Elton John medley that drove his performance, including "Rocket Man" and finishing off with "Bennie And The Jets."

CHEN: That music is just, you know, a blast to skate to, and, you know, I can just let loose knowing I don't have any jumps left and just have fun with it.

GOLDMAN: When the music ended, Chen arched his back and looked up at the arena⁷ ceiling with a big smile. After his winning score was announced, his longtime coach, Rafael Arutunian, raised Chen's arm like a triumphant⁸ boxer⁹. The top three in the final standings mirrored Tuesday's short program finish. Eighteen-year-old Yuma Kagiyama of Japan won the silver medal. His countryman, Shoma Uno, won bronze. The fourth-place finisher was notable, too. Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu had won the previous two Olympic gold medals. After finishing eighth in the short program here, Hanyu's chance for a third straight title was pretty much dashed, but he still went into Thursday's free skate with a chance at history. Hanyu is one of only two male skaters who've tried and failed to land skating's most difficult jump - the quadruple axel - in competition. Skating analyst¹⁰ Jackie Wong talked about Hanyu's quest to land the jump at these games.

JACKIE WONG: Adding a third Olympic gold, that's wonderful, but, like, it would mean more to him to be a two-time Olympic champion who's landed a jump that nobody else can land ever. That would be the thing.

GOLDMAN: Today, Hanyu tried again, got close but fell. He still skated a wonderful program to move up to fourth and earn the respect of Chen, who called Hanyu the greatest skater ever. High praise coming from the new champ.

Tom Goldman, NPR News, Beijing.

1 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 quad   

n.四方院；四胞胎之一；v.在…填补空铅

参考例句：

• His rooms were on the left-hand side of the quad.他的房间位于四方院的左侧。
• She is a 34-year-old mother of quads.她是个生了四胞胎的34岁的母亲。

4 medley   

n.混合

参考例句：

• Today's sports meeting doesn't seem to include medley relay swimming.现在的运动会好象还没有混合接力泳这个比赛项目。
• China won the Men's 200 metres Individual Medley.中国赢得了男子200米个人混合泳比赛。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 athleticism   

n.运动竞赛，崇尚运动，竞技热

参考例句：

• He brings defense. He brings talent. He brings athleticism. That's a lot. “他带来的防御，他带来了人才，他带来了身体，这是很多”。 来自互联网
• Each of these sports isn't won through sheer athleticism alone. 每个体育项目无法凭借纯粹的运动能力而获胜。 来自互联网

7 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

8 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

9 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

10 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。