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 26) 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 a talented American figure skater. She achieved a gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in the team event. Karen is also a U.S. national champion from 2017. She has won many other medals, including a silver medal at the 2022 U.S. nationals and three bronze medals at the U.S. national championships (2015, 2018, 2021).

Karen also competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics, finishing 11th. She has competed in seven major international championships. Her best results were two fourth-place finishes at the World Championships in 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. Karen graduated from Cornell University in 2025.

About Karen Chen

Her Background and Family

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 named Jeffrey, who is also a competitive ice dancer for the U.S. Karen was homeschooled during her high school years.

Education and Future Plans

Karen was accepted into Cornell University's School of Human Ecology in 2019. She studied Human Biology, Health, and Society, following a pre-med path. She took a two-year break from her studies during the COVID-19 pandemic to focus on preparing for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Karen graduated in May 2025. She plans to work in physical therapy, hoping to help other figure skaters.

Hobbies and Interests

Karen's mentor is Kristi Yamaguchi, an Olympic Champion from 1992, who is also from her hometown. In November 2017, Karen published a book about her life called Finding the Edge: My Life on the Ice. She enjoys painting and is a big fan of the Japanese character Totoro. In 2019, she became one of eight "POWERGIRLs" for POPFLEX Active, a fitness clothing company. In September 2024, Karen announced her engagement to her boyfriend, Len van Deurzen.

Karen's Skating Journey

Starting Out and Junior Years

Karen Chen started learning to skate in 2005. She quickly showed talent, winning national gold medals at the intermediate level in 2011 and as a novice in 2012. In 2013, she placed fourth at the U.S. Championships as a junior skater. She made her international debut that same year, winning gold at the Gardena Spring Trophy.

In the 2013–14 season, Karen competed in her first ISU Junior Grand Prix events. She won a bronze medal in Latvia and a gold medal in Slovakia. This qualified her for the JGP Final. However, she had to withdraw due to a right ankle injury. She recovered and competed at the 2014 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Bulgaria, where she finished ninth overall.

First Senior Medals

During the 2014–15 season, Karen continued to excel in the Junior Grand Prix, winning bronze in the Czech Republic and silver in Croatia. She made her senior national debut at the 2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. There, she earned a bronze medal, a great achievement for a young skater. She was not old enough for the World Championships that year, so she competed at the 2015 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, finishing eighth.

Senior International Debut

In the 2015–16 season, Karen competed in her first senior international event, the 2015 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, where she placed fourth. She also made her Grand Prix debut, finishing fifth at both 2015 Skate America and 2015 Cup of China. She won a bronze medal at the 2015 Golden Spin of Zagreb and finished eighth at the 2016 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

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. She then placed seventh at the 2016 Cup of China and sixth at the 2016 NHK Trophy in the Grand Prix series.

Her biggest achievement that season was winning the gold medal at the 2017 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She placed first in both the short program and the free skate, setting a new U.S. record for her short program score.

At the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships, Karen performed very well. She finished fifth in the short program and sixth in the free skate, leading to an impressive fourth-place finish overall. This was her first time at the World Championships. Her strong performance, along with her teammate's, helped the U.S. team secure three spots for the 2018 Olympics and the 2018 World Championships.

The Pyeongchang Olympics

Karen continued her success in the 2017–18 season, earning 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.

At the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Karen won the bronze medal. This result led to her selection for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She finished eleventh at the Olympics.

Overcoming Injuries and a Comeback

The 2018–19 season was challenging for Karen. She had to withdraw from several events due to an injury she suffered during the off-season. She later shared that she had a stress fracture in her right foot. After focusing on her health, she announced her return to competition for the 2019–20 season, while also starting her studies at Cornell University.

In her comeback season (2019–20), Karen won a silver medal at the 2019 Philadelphia Summer International. She placed fourth at the 2019 CS Autumn Classic International. Despite balancing school and skating, she competed in Grand Prix events, finishing eighth at 2019 Skate America and ninth at the 2019 NHK Trophy. At the 2020 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, she finished fourth. She then achieved her highest-ever finish at the 2020 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, placing seventh.

Return to the World Stage

For the 2020–21 season, Karen decided to train full-time. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she competed at 2020 Skate America, where she placed fourth. At the 2021 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, she earned a bronze medal, her fifth national medal overall.

In March 2021, Karen competed at the 2021 World Figure Skating Championships. She skated two strong programs and finished fourth. Her performance was crucial, as it helped the United States secure three spots for the 2022 World Championships and the 2022 Winter Olympics. She then helped Team USA win the silver medal at the 2021 ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating.

Beijing Olympics and Gold Medal

Chen at the 2015 World Junior Championships

Karen began the 2021–22 season with a fourth-place finish at the 2021 CS Autumn Classic International and sixth at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy. In the Grand Prix series, she placed tenth at 2021 Skate Canada International and fifth at the 2021 Internationaux de France.

At the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Karen placed second, earning the silver medal. This was the only senior podium placement she had not achieved before. The next day, she was named to the American Olympic team. Karen became the first U.S. women's singles skater since Sasha Cohen to qualify for two Olympic teams in a row.

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Karen was chosen to skate in the women's segments of the team event. She helped the U.S. team win the gold medal. This was her first Olympic medal. In the individual women's event, she finished sixteenth overall. At the 2022 World Figure Skating 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 creative freedom of solo dance, choosing music she likes.

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

Skating Programs

Karen Chen has performed many different programs throughout her career. Here are some of the music pieces she has used:

Images for kids

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  Chen at the 2014 World Junior Championships

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  Chen at the 2014 World Junior Championships

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  Chen at the 2014 World Junior Championships

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  Chen at the 2017 Four Continents Championships

See also

In Spanish: Karen Chen para niños