Sawt Falasteen - US star Chen will not defend Olympic figure skating gold in Italy

Chen told the Los Angeles Times in a story published Saturday that he will continue to pursue a medical career rather return to competition next year for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

"I just want to open doors to kind of see what's the best sort of approach for me," Chen told the newspaper. "And frankly, at this point in time in my life, I've already accomplished enough in skating that I'm quite satisfied with my career."

Chen, a six-time US champion, won men's world titles in 2018, 2019 and 2021 and helped the US team capture gold in Beijing in 2022 as well as taking his men's crown.

The 26-year-old graduated from Yale University last year and is seeking medical school programs.

Known as the "Quad King" for his skill at quadruple jumps, Chen holds the combined world record score of 335.30 from the 2019 Grand Prix Final at Turin.

Chen is looking to work in cardiology or oncology.

"The basis of being a doctor, I think, is to help people," Chen said. "I think that's something that I didn't necessarily feel as an athlete."

G.AbuHamad--SF-PST