According to The Associated Press, the American figure skater on Tuesday broke the world record for the highest score ever in a short program, finishing with 113.97 points. The 22-year-old leads the men’s individual competition heading into Thursday’s free skate, trailed by Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, with 108.12 points, and Shoma Uno, with 105.90 points.
The previous world record-holder, Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu, finished in eighth place with a score of 95.15, according to the official Olympics website.
Following his performance Tuesday, Chen, who finished fifth individually and won team bronze in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, said he was “elated.”
“Last Olympics, both short programs didn’t go the way that I wanted, and finally getting the opportunity to skate the programs the way that I wanted feels really great, means a lot,” he told NBC.
The record-breaking program came one day after Chen and his fellow U.S. skaters won silver in the team competition. Meanwhile, teammate Vincent Zhou announced he was withdrawing from the men’s individual competition after he tested positive for COVID-19.
Photos: Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen breaks short program world record Nathan Chen of Team United States skates during the Men Single Skating Short Program on Day 4 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 8, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Photos: Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen breaks short program world record Nathan Chen, of the United States, competes during the men's short program figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Photos: Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen breaks short program world record Nathan Chen, of the United States, competes during the men's short program figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Photos: Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen breaks short program world record Nathan Chen of Team United States skates during the Men's Single Skating Short Program on Day 4 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 8, 2022, in Beijing, China. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Photos: Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen breaks short program world record Nathan Chen of Team United States skates during the Men Single Skating Short Program on Day 4 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 8, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Photos: Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen breaks short program world record Nathan Chen of Team United States skates during the Men Single Skating Short Program on Day 4 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 8, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Photos: Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen breaks short program world record Nathan Chen of Team United States skates during the Men Single Skating Short Program on Day 4 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 8, 2022, in Beijing, China. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Photos: Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen breaks short program world record Nathan Chen of Team United States skates during the Men Single Skating Short Program on Day 4 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 8, 2022, in Beijing, China. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Photos: Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen breaks short program world record Nathan Chen of Team United States reacts during the Men Single Skating Short Program on Day 4 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 8, 2022, in Beijing, China. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Photos: Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen breaks short program world record Nathan Chen of Team United States reacts to his score following the Men Single Skating Short Program on Day 4 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 8, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Photos: US figure skaters win Olympic silver in team competition Silver medalists Team United States pose during the Team Event flower ceremony on day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 7, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Photos: US figure skaters win Olympic silver in team competition Silver medalists Team United States pose during the Team Event flower ceremony on day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 7, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Photos: US figure skaters win Olympic silver in team competition Silver medalists Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier of Team United States pose during the Team Event flower ceremony on day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 7, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Photos: US figure skaters win Olympic silver in team competition Gold medalists Team ROC pose during the Team Event flower ceremony on day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 7, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Photos: US figure skaters win Olympic silver in team competition Bronze medalists Team Japan pose during the Team Event flower ceremony on day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 7, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Photos: US figure skaters win Olympic silver in team competition Karen Chen of the USA performs during the ladies' free skating event of the team figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the Capital Indoor Stadium. (Sergei Bobylev\TASS via Getty Images)
Photos: US figure skaters win Olympic silver in team competition Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier of the USA perform during the pairs' free skating event of the team figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the Capital Indoor Stadium. (Valery Sharifulin\TASS via Getty Images)
Photos: US figure skaters win Olympic silver in team competition Ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the USA perform during the free dance event of the team figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the Capital Indoor Stadium. (Valery Sharifulin\TASS via Getty Images)
Photos: US figure skaters win Olympic silver in team competition Vincent Zhou of Team United States skates during the Team Event Men Single Skating Free Skating during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 6, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Photos: US figure skaters win Olympic silver in team competition Bing Dwen Dwen mascots are seen during the Team Event flower ceremony on day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 7, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
