US skating team stronger than most for recent world events

FILE - In this Saturday, March 23, 2019 file photo, Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu and Nathan Chen from the United States display their silver and gold medals respectively during the men's free skating routine during the ISU World Figure Skating Championships at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, north of Tokyo. As Nathan Chen seeks a third straight World Figure Skating Championships title, something no American has achieved since Scott Hamilton got his fourth in a row in 1984, he has two major challenges in front of him. One is two-time Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, who Chen calls “the benchmark." The other is idleness in major competitions forced by the coronavirus pandemic. ((AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

Nathan Chen of the USA performs during a practice session at the Figure Skating World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)