The decision on whether Nathan Chen should compete in either of the world figure skating championships for which he qualified no longer is discretionary.
The injury Chen suffered on a failed quadruple jump attempt during Sunday’s exhibition gala after the U.S. Championships has required left hip surgery that will knock him out of both the world juniors and world championships in late March.
Read MoreWhether phenom Nathan Chen competes at either of the two world figure skating championships for which he has qualified will depend on a medical evaluation of the injury he sustained Sunday evening.
“What matters is not these worlds. What matters is that he is healthy for the future,” Rafael Arutunian, the skater’s coach, told me by telephone Tuesday afternoon.
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Philip Hersh, formerly Olympic specialist for the Chicago Tribune, has covered 20 Olympic Games. He often uses sport as a way to write about the culture of a country or athlete. READ FULL BIO
