Chen overcame dissapointing performances in both the team competition and the opening short program. The US squad was able to overcome Chen's performance in the team competition and still land a bronze medal. But in the men's single skating, he was 17th after the short program and seemed out of medal contention following the short program.
But just when Chen needed the performance of his life, he delivered.
"Nathan Chen is still the q... @ NBC Olympics
Chen landed six sqauds during his routine, five of them cleanly, slipping momentarily on just one of his jumps.
NBC announcer Tara Linisky even had a Freudian slip after the routine, accidentally referring to Chen as "Nathan Quad."
"Nathan Quad," Lipinsky said, before correcting herself. "Nathan Chen ... is still the quad king!"
Chen seemingly became the quad king during the 2017 U.S. Figure Skating Championships when he became the first skater in history to land five quads in a single performance.
Saturday's performance at the Winter Olympics might have been too little, too late, but it was what he needed to even have a chance. His score of 215.08 gave him an overall total of 297.35 which would have been good enough to win gold at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
At the time of his performance there were still 13 skaters to go, and he would need some to slip up, but he was in first place when he finished and for the first time everybody saw the real Nathan Chen on the world's biggest stage.