Nathan Chen will be marching in Biden Inaugural Parade

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Fresh from winning his fifth straight U.S. figure skating title, Salt Lake City native Nathan Chen will leap back into the national spotlight this week for another crowning event: the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

The inaugural committee has announced that Chen will join fellow U.S. Olympians — sprinter Allyson Felix and swimmer Katie Ledecky — as participants in Wednesday’s virtual “Parade Across America.”

Scheduled to start at 1:15 p.m. MST after Biden’s swearing-in, the parade will take place virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. It will feature diverse performers and highlight American heroes from all 50 states and a handful of U.S. territories.

 

[tony]

Oh, I'm sure his social media comments are just going to be fascinating moving forward.

 

[skatingguy]

Oh, I'm sure his social media comments are just going to be fascinating moving forward.

QAnon or Fanyu's - that's a tough decision on whose crazier.

 

[CaliSteve]

QAnon or Fanyu's - that's a tough decision on whose crazier.

Same level.

 

[BaileyCatts]

I don't understand how this is going to work? Are they just going to show a bunch of clips of people selected to take part, its live or what? I probably won't be able to watch streaming at work.

 

[Sylvia]

@BaileyCatts, I'm sure the livestream will be archived for viewing later - press release: https://bideninaugural.org/presiden...s-participants-for-the-parade-across-america/

... virtual “Parade Across America” on January 20 at 3:15 PM ET that will feature diverse, dynamic performances in communities in all 56 states and territories, celebrate America’s heroes, and highlight the diversity, heritage, and resilience of the country.
...
Olympic athletes, including Nathan Chen, Allyson Felix, and Katie Ledecky

 

[Carolla5501]

Admit that I had forgotten this was going to be a virtual parade and my first thought was “I hope he doesn’t get hurt by a crazy person”. ?

 

[Frau Muller]

So glad that Nathan’s been selected & will participate! I bet that he’ll ride atop a Toyota.

My first thought: Wowee! As I live close to downtown DC, with bridges & Metro stations closed, how can I go cheer Nathan?

Second thought: Oh, darn. There’s no real parade. Only virtual.

Sigh.

 

[casken]

Nathan Chen is Deep State.

 

[kwanfan1818]

This is a bit like the Olympic torch thing, no? Except there's no physical hand-off.

 

[misskarne]

Admit that I had forgotten this was going to be a virtual parade and my first thought was “I hope he doesn’t get hurt by a crazy person”. ?

I think we'd best not get complacent. The most dangerous time for a woman in an abusive relationship is after she leaves.

I'm glad Nathan still has the opportunity to participate. I also hope USFS are ready for the crazies and I hope Nathan is safe.

 

[jlai]

I think this is the closest Nathan gets as making a political statement

 

[Rukia]

I think this is the closest Nathan gets as making a political statement

He also made a post last year about combatting racism and educating himself and another supporting an organization that tries to get more AAPI voting. He doesn't post about it often, but it's definitely not a one-time thing.

 

[Karen-W]

I think this is the closest Nathan gets as making a political statement

Interpret it as you will. I'm going to be generous and suggest that maybe, just maybe, he feels like the country does need to heal the political wounds and participating might help toward that end, especially since there are so many skaters who trend conservative politically.

Or, you know, someone in the USFS thought this was a good idea since he's the first man since Dick Button to win five US titles, and having him participate gets figure skating some much needed publicity, and they reached out to Michelle Kwan.

 

[Dobre]

I think it is lovely that he has been invited to participate. He is one of the athletes that stated he would not go to the White House in 2018. Now he gets to be part of an inauguration.

 

[Lemonade20]

How can we watch this??

 

[Dobre]

How can we watch this??

There are a bunch of links to different possible sites at the bottom of the article. (Go to the opening post, then click on the article and scroll down).

 

[skatfan]

Bravo, Nathan! Glad he is representing figure skating in this way.

 

[Orm Irian]

Nathan Chen is Deep State.

Deep State or Deep Skate?

 

[allezfred]

Interpret it as you will. I'm going to be generous and suggest that maybe, just maybe, he feels like the country does need to heal the political wounds and participating might help toward that end, especially since there are so many skaters who trend conservative politically.

My interpretation is that he thinks Trump and his supporters suck.

 

[Vagabond]

Or, you know, someone in the USFS thought this was a good idea since he's the first man since Dick Button to win five US titles

The first since Todd Eldredge.

 

[jlai]

The first since Todd Eldredge.

I think it should be five consecutive since Dick and 5 since Todd. The poster probably just left out a word

 

[Karen-W]

My interpretation is that he thinks Trump and his supporters suck.

Yes, of course, that must be it. Thanks for telling me that I "suck." I'm trying to be charitable and give Nathan the benefit of doubt, but the anti-Trumpers are making it damn hard to even bother, especially the anti-Trumpers who don't even live in the US. Why even try to tamp down on the vile, divisive rhetoric?

 

[allezfred]

Thanks for telling me that I "suck."

You’re welcome.

 

[kittyjake5]

How exciting is this! Well deserved honor for Nathan!

 

[VGThuy]

Not to make everything about Kwan, but I wonder if she had something to do with this. In her IG stories, she congratulated Nathan's win and then posted something about the inauguration right after.

 

[Sylvia]

Not to make everything about Kwan, but I wonder if she had something to do with this.

I would think so - yesterday Nathan's agent thanked Michelle (a Sr. Advisor on the Biden Inaugural Committee) and tweeted the link to the article in post #1.

Speaking of Michelle, she will be doing an IG Live at 2 pm today: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKNPRZml4v9/
ETA that her 20-min. chat with Misha Collins is linked from here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/michelle-kwan-threads-merged.95345/page-24#post-5941516

Michelle will also appear in the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Inaugural Ball: Breaking Barriers tonight at 7 pm Eastern: https://bideninaugural.org/watch/

 

[jlai]

Yes, of course, that must be it. Thanks for telling me that I "suck." I'm trying to be charitable and give Nathan the benefit of doubt, but the anti-Trumpers are making it damn hard to even bother, especially the anti-Trumpers who don't even live in the US. Why even try to tamp down on the vile, divisive rhetoric?

Setting aside all posters’ political stance in the thread, a figure skater being in an inauguration is always good for the sport. Whether it be H/D or Nathan or Kwan, or whatever the skater’s political ideas are.

Go figure skating!

 

[canbelto]

This is awesome. As for Nathan's politics he's a private citizen. He can express his politics as much as any other skater like Todd Eldredge or Lloyd Eisner. Will he jump a quad for the new quad?

 

[jlai]

This is awesome. As for Nathan's politics he's a private citizen. He can express his politics as much as any other skater like Todd Eldredge or Lloyd Eisner. Will he jump a quad for the new quad?

He totally needs to do a quad axel to silence his doubters