The men's U.S. Olympic figure skating team, Vincent Zhou, at left, Adam Rippon, and Nathan Chen, poses for photographs after a press conference at the US Figure Skating Championships at SAP Center on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, in San Jose, Calif. (Jim Gensheimer/Bay Area News Group)
When a FOX NEWS editorial described the US Winter Olympic team as “Darker… gayer… different” they were decrying the diversity of the 2018 team. But in reality, the US Team is finding strength through its diversity, which includes a record number of black and Asian American athletes. The difference is most apparent in the field of figure skating, where fully half of the American competitors, 7 out of 14, are Asian Americans. Attributed partly to the focus and tenacity of Asian American competitors and their families, it’s great to notice the beauty and strength of Asian Americans in the field of competitive athletics.
One of the top competitors this year is figure skater Nathan Chen (the Quad King), who credits the support of his mom for getting him to the international level in his sport, according to CNN.
“My mom spent most of my life with me on the ice, making sure that I was getting the right training in and doing all the right steps to do well in the sport,” he said last month. “I wasn’t able to have lessons year round, she would stand on the ice, take notes of what the coach is asking me to do. And then after the coach left, she would continue training me, continue going over all those little things and she would ask the coach what specific things to work on, things that I could improve on.”
“She made it really fun. She made a lot of games out of it and she just made me find my passion for skating at a young age,” he said.
Another Southern Californian of Asian descent is skater Mirai Nagasu, who made Olympics history when she landed the difficult triple axel this weekend in Pyeongchang, another top rank Asian American in the 2018 games.
A third bigtime competitor on the US figure skating team is 18-year old Vincent Zhou of Palo Alto, CA. Vincent is young, good-looking and has a promising future ahead in the field of competitive figure skating.
Coming up through the ranks from US Junior Champion to the Olympic team, Zhou joins Nathan Chen and gay skating idol Adam Rippon to form a formidable and handsome US Men’s Skating trio. Good luck and great choice, Team USA!
The men’s U.S. Olympic figure skating team, Vincent Zhou, at left, Adam Rippon, and Nathan Chen, poses for photographs after a press conference at the US Figure Skating Championships at SAP Center on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, in San Jose, Calif. (Jim Gensheimer/Bay Area News Group)
