Olympic gold medalist Nathan Chen has officially announced that he will not participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics set to take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The celebrated figure skater, who dominated the 2022 Beijing Games, confirmed his decision to step away from competitive skating in favor of pursuing a career in medicine.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in August 2025, Chen, now 26, expressed his desire to explore new opportunities. “I just want to open doors to kind of see what’s the best sort of approach for me,” he stated, emphasizing his satisfaction with his achievements in figure skating. Chen made history at the Beijing Games by winning two gold medals—one in the men’s singles event and another as part of the U.S. team—while landing five clean quadruple jumps, solidifying his status as a standout athlete.
Since his triumph in Beijing, Chen has successfully graduated from Yale University and has begun applying to medical schools across the country. He humorously noted that the stress of preparing for the medical college admissions test surpassed even the pressure he felt while competing at the Winter Olympics.
Looking ahead, Chen is particularly interested in specialties like cardiology and oncology, with an emphasis on their genetic aspects. Although his departure from the ice is a significant change for both him and his fans, Chen’s transition into the medical field represents a hopeful and promising new chapter in his life, allowing him to continue making an impact, albeit in a different arena.