‘Made the country proud’: Elton John, Vera Wang, Donovan Mitchell congratulate Nathan Chen on Olympic gold
By Bryan Ke
American figure skater Nathan Chen has attracted attention from several big names in the sports and music industries after winning gold for the United States at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics last week.
One of the icons who congratulated Chen, 22, was British music icon Elton John, whose song “Rocket Man” was used during the Utah native’s performance on the ice.
In addition to congratulating Chen, the 74-year-old superstar promoted “From the Top,” the series he executively produced, which stars Hayley Kiyoko, an American singer and the daughter of figure skater Sarah Kawahara.
The Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell also congratulated Chen on his win. In an interview, Chen, whose hometown is Salt Lake City, revealed that Mitchell is his favorite Jazz player, explaining that the NBA star has a special place in his heart, ABC4 Utah reported.
“Just want to say congratulations on getting the medal, bro,” Mitchell, 25, said in a surprise video message played for Chen during his interview. “You’ve done your thing, man. Continuously made the whole country proud. We’re all happy for you out here — the Utah Jazz organization and Utah. We’re happy for you man, so congratulations. Keep doing your thing and proud of you bro.”
After watching Mitchell’s video, Chen went on to describe the athlete as the “nicest, humble, down-to-earth, super cool guy.” He also said the video was “super sick” and called the gesture “super special.”
In an Instagram post, Vera Wang, Chen’s stylist, said it was an honor and a privilege to “dress an Olympian in a sport you so adore.”
“Congratulations to my friend, @nathanwchen on winning [gold] for his country, his team, his support system, his family, friends and fans…. but most of all, himself,” the 72-year-old former figure-skater-turned-fashion-designer wrote.
Champions Skating Center, a sports complex Chen used to visit in Cromwell, Connecticut, during his first two years at Yale University, also congratulated the figure skater on his win, NBC Connecticut reported.
“Congratulations. We’re extremely proud of you and our kids are all the better for having met you, our figure skating kids and the community as a whole,” Bob Crawford, a former National Hockey League player and a part-owner of Champions Skating Center, told NBC Connecticut. “Continued good luck, and we’ll see you when you come back to Yale.”
In addition to winning gold, Chen had also shattered the world record set by his Olympic rival and two-time Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu, as NextShark previously reported. Hanyu, also known as Japan’s “Ice Prince,” finished fourth with an overall score of 283.21.
Featured Image via Global Citizen (left), NBC Sports (right)
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