BEIJING (Reuters) -American figure skater Nathan Chen posted a world record score of 113.97 points in the short programme of the men’s singles with a stunning skate at the Beijing Olympics on Tuesday.
The world champion’s performance at the Capital Indoor Stadium eclipsed the previous mark of 111.82 by Japan’s Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu, which was set at the Four Continents tournament in 2020.
Chen finished top of the short programme ahead of Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama (108.12) and Shoma Uno (105.90).
The 22-year-old Chen is bidding to erase the heartbreak of his 2018 Olympics at Pyeongchang, where an error-strewn short programme saw him miss out on an individual medal.
Chen has already won a team silver with the United States in Beijing.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Additional reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
