“I believe no one will be able to replicate what Nathan has done and can do,” Hamilton said. “He is a one-of-a-kind talent that I’m grateful has come into our world in my lifetime.
“Nathan is cut from the same cloth as Dick Button (the 1948 and 1952 gold medalist.) Not being satisfied with the status quo, Nathan did everything possible (and impossible) to build his athleticism in a way no one else previously had.”
Jenkins, who competed against Button, expected how well Chen skated at the Olympics because he has seen Chen skate that way repeatedly before.
“First, he has done the finest athletic performances by a man I ever have seen,” Jenkins said. “Second, they were coupled with very significant artistic performances. Look at his arms, his hands, his carriage. It is all very fluid, not exaggerated, and everything has a purpose.
“And, third he was very aware of the music, which we know not all skaters are.”