Karen Chen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Karen Chen
Chen at the 2017 Skate Canada International
Personal information
Country represented	United States
Born	(1999-08-16) August 16, 1999 (age 25) Fremont, California, United States
Height	1.55 m (5 ft 1 in)
Coach	Tammy Gambill
Skating club	Peninsula Figure Skating Club, San Jose
Began skating	2005

Karen Chen (born August 16, 1999) is an American figure skater. She is a 2022 Olympic Games team event gold medalist. She has also won the 2017 U.S. national championship. Karen has earned silver and bronze medals at other U.S. national competitions. She is currently a student at Cornell University.

Chen also competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics, where she finished 11th. She has competed in seven major international championships, achieving her best result of fourth place at two World Championships (2017 and 2021). Earlier in her career, she won four medals in the ISU Junior Grand Prix series, including a gold medal in Slovakia in 2013.

About Karen Chen

Karen Chen was born on August 16, 1999, in Fremont, California. Her parents moved to the United States from Taiwan. She has a younger brother, Jeffrey, who is also a figure skater and competes in ice dance.

Education and Future Plans

Karen was homeschooled during high school. She is studying at Cornell University and is interested in the medical field. She plans to work in physical therapy to help other figure skaters. Karen took a break from her studies during the COVID-19 pandemic to prepare for the 2022 Winter Olympics. She is expected to graduate in spring 2025.

Interests and Mentors

Karen's mentor is Kristi Yamaguchi, who won an Olympic gold medal in 1992. They are from the same hometown. In 2017, Karen published a book called Finding the Edge: My Life on the Ice. In the book, she shared that she has a back condition. Karen enjoys painting and is a big fan of the Japanese character Totoro. In 2019, she became a brand ambassador for POPFLEX Active, a fitness company. In September 2024, she announced her engagement to her boyfriend, Len van Deurzen.

Karen's Skating Journey

Starting Out

Karen Chen started learning to skate in 2005. She quickly showed talent, winning gold medals at the national intermediate level in 2011 and as a novice in 2012. The next year, she competed at the junior level at the 2013 U.S. Championships, where she placed fourth. She made her first international appearance at the 2013 Gardena Spring Trophy, winning gold at the novice level.

Junior International Competitions

Chen at the 2014 World Junior Championships

In the 2013–14 season, Karen began competing in the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) series. She won a bronze medal in Latvia and a gold medal in Slovakia. This helped her qualify for the JGP Final. However, she had to withdraw from the final because of a right ankle injury she got while practicing a difficult jump. Karen spent four weeks on crutches. She later competed at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Bulgaria, finishing ninth overall.

First Senior National Medal

In the 2014–15 JGP series, Karen won a bronze medal in the Czech Republic and a silver medal in Croatia. She then made her senior national debut at the 2015 U.S. Championships. She won a bronze medal, placing behind famous skaters Ashley Wagner and Gracie Gold. Karen was not old enough to compete at the senior World Championships that year, so she competed at the 2015 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, where she placed eighth.

Senior International Debut

Before the 2015–16 season, Karen tried many pairs of skate boots to find the perfect fit. In September 2015, she competed in her first senior international event, the 2015 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. She finished fourth. She then made her Grand Prix debut, placing fifth at both 2015 Skate America and 2015 Cup of China. She also won a bronze medal at the 2015 Golden Spin of Zagreb in December. At the 2016 U.S. Championships in January, she finished eighth.

Becoming a National Champion

Chen at the 2017 World Championships

Karen started her 2016–17 season by winning a bronze medal at the 2016 CS U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. On the Grand Prix series, she placed seventh at 2016 Cup of China and sixth at 2016 NHK Trophy.

Karen won the gold medal at the 2017 U.S. Championships. She placed first in both the short program and the free skate. She even set a new U.S. record with her short program score of 72.82 points!

At the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships, Karen performed very well. She placed fifth in the short program and sixth in the free program. Overall, she finished fourth in her first World Championships appearance. Her high placement, along with her teammate's finish, helped Team USA earn three spots for the 2018 Olympics and the 2018 World Figure Skating Championships.

The Pyeongchang Olympics

Karen started her 2017–18 season by winning another bronze medal at the 2017 CS U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. She also helped Team North America win a bronze medal at the Japan Open.

Before her first Grand Prix event, Karen changed her free skate program. She choreographed a new program herself, using music from the movie Slow Dancing in the Big City. With this new program, she placed seventh at the 2017 Skate Canada International.

At the 2018 U.S. Championships, Karen won the bronze medal. Because of this, she was chosen to represent the US at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She finished eleventh at the Olympics.

Dealing with Injuries

In the 2018–19 season, Karen had to withdraw from several events due to an injury she got during the off-season. She later shared that she had a stress fracture in her right foot. She decided to focus on her health and announced she would attend Cornell University in the fall of 2019. She also planned to return to competition in the 2019–20 season.

Comeback Season

Karen returned to skating in the 2019–20 season while also starting her first year at Cornell University. She won a silver medal at the 2019 Philadelphia Summer International. She then placed fourth at the 2019 CS Autumn Classic International.

At her first Grand Prix event since the 2018 Olympics, 2019 Skate America, Karen finished eighth overall. She admitted it was tough balancing school and skating, but she enjoyed it. At the 2019 NHK Trophy, she placed third in the short program but struggled in the free skate, finishing ninth overall.

Before the 2020 U.S. Championships, Karen brought back her Slow Dancing in the Big City free skate program. She finished fourth at the U.S. Championships, earning her fourth senior national medal. She then achieved her highest-ever finish at the 2020 Four Continents Championships, placing seventh.

Return to Worlds

For the 2020–21 season, Karen decided to train full-time instead of enrolling in virtual classes at Cornell. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was assigned to compete at 2020 Skate America, where she placed fourth.

At the 2021 U.S. Championships, Karen earned her third bronze medal, and fifth overall. She was then chosen to be part of the 2021 World Championships team.

At the 2021 World Championships, Karen skated two strong programs and finished fourth. Her performance, combined with her teammate's, helped the United States secure three spots for the 2022 World Championships and the 2022 Winter Olympics. Karen then helped Team USA win the silver medal at the 2021 World Team Trophy.

The Beijing Olympics

Karen started the 2021–22 season with some challenges, finishing fourth at the 2021 CS Autumn Classic International and sixth at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy. At the Grand Prix events, she placed tenth at 2021 Skate Canada International and fifth at the 2021 Internationaux de France.

Hoping to make her second Olympic team, Karen competed at the 2022 U.S. Championships. She placed second in the short program and second in the free skate, earning the silver medal. The next day, she was named to the American Olympic team. Karen is the first U.S. women's singles skater since Sasha Cohen (in 2002 and 2006) to qualify for two Olympic teams in a row.

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Karen was chosen to skate in the women's parts of the Olympic team event. She helped the U.S. team win the gold medal. This was her first Olympic medal. She later competed in the individual women's event, finishing sixteenth overall. At the 2022 World Championships, Karen placed eighth.

After Competitive Skating

After the 2021–22 season, Karen decided to focus on her studies at Cornell University. In fall 2022, she started competing at the college level in solo dance. She enjoys the freedom of choosing her own music for solo dance, similar to how she picks music for skating shows.

In 2024, a special medal ceremony was held at the Paris Olympics for Karen and her teammates from the 2022 Olympic Figure Skating Team Event. They were finally awarded their Olympic gold medals.

Skating Programs

Chen at the 2014 World Junior Championships

Karen Chen has performed many different programs throughout her career. Each program has a short program and a free skating routine, often with music from movies or famous songs. She has also created some of her own choreography.

Competitive Results

Detailed Results

Senior Level Results

Chen at the 2017 Four Continents Championships

Results in the 2014–15 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Jan 18–25, 2015	2015 U.S. Championships	6	64.66	3	135.13	3	199.79

Results in the 2015–16 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Sep 16–20, 2015	2015 CS U.S. International Classic	3	60.94	5	98.24	4	159.18
Oct 23–25, 2015	2015 Skate America	4	62.28	6	110.26	5	172.54
Nov 5–8, 2015	2015 Cup of China	7	58.30	5	117.63	5	175.93
Dec 3–5, 2015	2015 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb	4	56.82	3	118.53	3	175.35
Jan 16–24, 2016	2016 U.S. Championships	12	54.86	8	113.89	8	168.75
Feb 16–21, 2016	2016 Four Continents Championships	12	53.55	10	107.97	12	161.52

Results in the 2016–17 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Sep 14–18, 2016	2016 CS U.S. International Classic	6	51.50	3	110.58	3	162.08
Nov 18–20, 2016	2016 Cup of China	9	58.28	5	121.11	7	179.39
Nov 25–27, 2016	2016 NHK Trophy	7	58.76	5	119.69	6	178.45
Dec 8–11, 2016	2016 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb	6	54.60	7	101.03	7	155.63
Jan 14–22, 2017	2017 U.S. Championships	1	72.82	1	141.40	1	214.22
Feb 15–19, 2017	2017 Four Continents Championships	12	55.60	10	111.22	12	166.82
Mar 29 – Apr 2, 2017	2017 World Championships	5	69.98	6	129.31	4	199.29
Apr 20–23, 2017	2017 World Team Trophy	8	60.33	9	108.62	3 (9)	168.95

Results in the 2017–18 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Aug 4–6, 2017	2017 Philadelphia Summer International	4	62.20	–	–	–	WD
Sep 13–17, 2017	2017 CS U.S. International Classic	2	66.18	3	116.14	3	182.32
Oct 7, 2017	2017 Japan Open	–	–	6	116.32	3	–
Oct 26–28, 2017	2017 Skate Canada International	5	61.77	7	108.63	7	170.40
Nov 24–26, 2017	2017 Skate America	9	59.53	6	123.27	8	182.80
Jan 3–5, 2018	2018 U.S. Championships	3	69.48	4	129.11	3	198.59
Feb 21–23, 2018	2018 Winter Olympics	10	65.90	11	119.75	11	185.65

Results in the 2018–19 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Nov 26 – Dec 2, 2018	2018 CS Tallinn Trophy	9	52.93	–	–	–	WD

Results in the 2019–20 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Jul 31 – Aug 3, 2019	2019 Philadelphia Summer International	1	65.63	2	117.36	2	182.99
Sep 12–14, 2019	2019 CS Autumn Classic International	3	60.89	4	112.77	4	173.66
Oct 18–20, 2019	2019 Skate America	6	66.03	10	99.64	8	165.67
Nov 22–24, 2019	2019 NHK Trophy	3	67.21	11	98.49	9	165.70
Jan 20–26, 2020	2020 U.S. Championships	5	70.41	4	123.24	4	193.65
Feb 4–9, 2020	2020 Four Continents Championships	8	67.28	6	133.78	7	201.06

Results in the 2020–21 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Oct 23–24, 2020	2020 Skate America	4	68.13	2	136.77	4	204.90
Jan 11–21, 2021	2021 U.S. Championships	4	70.99	3	143.99	3	214.98
Mar 22–28, 2021	2021 World Championships	4	74.40	6	134.23	4	208.63
Apr 15–18, 2021	2021 World Team Trophy	6	62.48	6	127.24	2 (6)	189.72

Results in the 2021–22 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Sep 16–18, 2021	2021 CS Autumn Classic International	5	58.01	3	114.99	4	173.00
Oct 7–10, 2021	2021 CS Finlandia Trophy	6	67.50	6	134.99	6	202.49
Oct 29–31, 2021	2021 Skate Canada International	6	68.74	10	114.67	10	183.41
Nov 19–21, 2021	2021 Internationaux de France	5	64.67	5	129.33	5	194.00
Jan 3–9, 2022	2022 U.S. Championships	2	74.55	3	139.30	2	213.85
Feb 4–7, 2022	2022 Winter Olympics (Team event)	5	65.20	4	131.52	1	–
Feb 15–17, 2022	2022 Winter Olympics	13	64.11	17	115.82	16	179.93
Mar 21–27, 2022	2022 World Championships	8	66.16	8	126.35	8	192.51

Junior Level Results

Chen at the 2015 World Junior Championships

Chen at the 2014 World Junior Championships

Results in the 2012–13 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Jan 20–27, 2013	2013 U.S. Championships (Junior)	3	54.34	4	90.22	4	144.56

Results in the 2013–14 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Aug 29–31, 2013	2013 JGP Latvia	2	58.21	4	96.05	3	154.26
Sep 12–15, 2013	2013 JGP Slovakia	1	64.46	2	114.62	1	179.08
Jan 5–12, 2014	2014 U.S. Championships (Junior)	5	51.78	–	–	–	WD
Mar 10–16, 2014	2014 World Junior Championships	6	56.09	9	99.74	9	155.83

Results in the 2014–15 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Sep 3–7, 2014	2014 JGP Czech Republic	1	60.88	4	100.27	3	160.95
Oct 8–12, 2014	2014 JGP Croatia	1	62.71	3	106.70	2	169.41
Mar 2–8, 2015	2015 World Junior Championships	12	51.64	8	105.66	8	157.30

Images for kids

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  Chen at the 2017 Skate Canada International

See also

In Spanish: Karen Chen para niños