Olympic Figure Skater Nathan Chen on Meeting His Role Model

Bazaar’s 2022 Icons issue celebrates a rising generation of stars—people 30 years old or younger—who are making an impact on the world through their ideas and their art. Here, we talk to Nathan Chen, 2022 Olympic champion, about what the word icon means to him.

“The word icon means someone who stops at nothing to pursue their dreams and their goals. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet one of my all-time icons, Michelle Kwan. She’s someone who was a trailblazer for Asian American figure skaters and really set the path for future generations to follow.

I feel the most iconic when I’m on the ice. I get to forget everything and just be myself on the ice and just, I guess, be my truest self. I want to just do the best that I can in any given day and just keep moving forward, try not to think too far about these big grand things and more just stay in the moment.”

Read more from Bazaar’s 2022 Icons issue.

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