BEIJING, China — The U.S. is well-represented on the ice in the men's free skate with Nathan Chen and Colorado's Jason Brown.
The 27-year-old always has a smile on his face when he skates, so it may be hard to imagine he struggled during the pandemic. But he is coming out of a better skater, and he's back at the Olympics after an eight year absence.
When Brown skates, he likes to create special moments on the ice
"I'm always trying to create moments for the audience," he explained. "I'm always trying to connect with them."
A connection Brown started training in Monument, Colorado and later at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, along the way becoming one of the most positive people in figure skating.
"You stay positive and you put your best foot forward and then, 'Oh, we're going back we're going back,' he said.
But like many, Brown struggled with that positivity during the pandemic lockdowns and isolation
"It's global, it's impacting us all, and the first lockdown was so unlike anything I have every experienced," he said.
And also like many others, Brown learned from the pandemic, too.
"I think one of the things I learned most from the pandemic is how to truly stay in the moment," he said.
And at the U.S. National Championships in Nashville, Brown had a great moment, skating to a standing ovation and earning a spot on the 2022 Olympic team.
"It's taken a lot of work, a lot of revamping to get back to this point." he said. "It was eight years ago that I made my first Olympic team. It's been a journey and a roller coaster and to collimate like this is very special."
Now Brown is enjoying his next big moment on Olympic ice in Beijing.
"I'll focus hard on making the most out of that moment," he said.
Brown is also going to school at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
He already has a bronze medal from the figure skating team event in the Sochi Olympics.
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