It’s been a breeze. A frigid Northeasterly one, at that, him having traded in the sun-splashed lifestyle of Southern California for the dastardly cold of New Haven, Conn., winters. But Nathan Chen’s first semester of college went according to plan. In the classroom around Yale University and on the ice worldwide.
At 19, Chen, the reigning world champ, remains the wunderkind of the sport. His repertoire of quadruple jumps remain ever intact, but for the first time, he’s had to maneuver this life as a budding star Olympian alone. Chen left the greater Los Angeles area this past summer, leaving behind family, his home ice, his coach and his support system to attend one of the most prestigious universities in the country.