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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Entertainment
Madison Williams

Nathan Chen Lands Backflip in Olympic Figure Skating Gala Routine

Olympic gold medalist Nathan Chen did not disappoint in his final Beijing Olympics performance on Sunday. 

During the 22-year-old American’s figure skating gala routine, he completed a perfect backflip on the ice. 

Chen didn’t give himself much time to breath after the backflip as he immediately continued to pull off more tricks and spins on the ice. Chen pulled off the routine without any mishaps, of course.

He wore his now infamous faux suit in his performance, which sharply contrasted the colorful and sparkly outfits of his fellow figure skaters.

At the end of his gala performance, Chen pointed at the crowd to signal he was finished. This photo has now gone viral, along with his backflip performance.

The Exhibition Gala showcases the 18 figure skaters who medaled during the 2022 Olympics. This gives them an opportunity to show off their talents one last time in Beijing before the Closing Ceremony.

With the 2022 Winter Olympics officially over, Chen finished with a gold medal for the men’s figure skating event, and he also takes home a silver medal from the team figure skating event. On top of that, he also broke the record for the highest score in the men’s short program.

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