by Jason Cruz
Northwest Asia Weekly
Nathan Chen competes in the men’s free skating event during the US Figure Skating Championships on January 9. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
Welcome to another version of layup drills. In this issue, we take a look at figure skater Nathan Chen, one of the best hockey players in the Northwest, Tiger Woods’ return to golf, and his best moves for 2021.
Nathan Chen wins sixth straight U.S. figure skating title
Nathan Chen accomplished some of the most difficult jumps in figure skating, soaring through the air in dizzying quads, perfectly stringing together incredible combinations that left viewers wanting more.
Numbers he will be faced with a simple sequence of steps. but it does not matter. One of his four quadruples also went without a turnover.
Chen outperformed everyone else at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Jan. 9, winning the free skate with 212.63 points and a total score of 328.01, his sixth straight title.
Chen’s six titles are the most in men’s skating since Todd Eldredge won his sixth in 2002, and the most since two-time Olympic champion Dick Button in the 1940s and 2002. He is the first man to win six titles in a row since he won seven in a row in the 1950s.
It has been an extraordinary four years for the 22-year-old Chen after his poor short program at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics cost him an Olympic medal. Chen won 14 straight races, from National to World and everything in between, but lost to Vincent Zhou at Skate America in October.
It turned out to be a flash in the pan. Chen won the Canadian Skating Competition next week.
He highlighted his preparation for Beijing when he broke his own national record in the short program, a throwback to his “La Boheme” show a few years ago, which featured a pair of soaring quads And got 115.39 points.
Chen then had all the capitals ready with his performance in the free skating.
Dressed in a costume adorned with supernovas, Chen broke his own Grand Prix best of the season with a score of 307.18, taking Rocketman’s music to another level. His biggest rival in Beijing, two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu, won the Japanese national title last month with a score of 322.36.
hockey rising star
The Seattle Krakens’ inaugural season at the Climate Promise Arena saw many locals watch the NHL more this year. But the state of hockey in the Northwest has been booming with minor league hockey. One of the latest prospects who may wear a Kraken uniform in the coming years is Marcus Nguyen. The Calgary, Alberta native currently plays for the Portland Winterhawks. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Nguyen is a shooter who was selected by the Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League draft. According to the team, he is a player who “has extraordinary speed and agility, as well as the ability to complete chances (shoots)”.
At 17 years old, Nguyen should be a player to watch in the coming years as he plays in the Western Hockey League.
Nguyen is looking forward to following in the footsteps of Canadian Nick Suzuki, as the 22-year-old Montreal Canadian has a great year in his third professional year with the NHL team and is a future superstar.
Suzuki underwent many hospital surgeries as a baby due to ear and lung problems. But he overcame them and lived a normal childhood. You might think he’s a late bloomer.
Woods plays golf with son in return for golf
Tiger Woods is back on the golf course for a tournament with his 12-year-old son Charlie.
The PNC Pro-Am Championship in Orlando, Florida takes a unique format, putting the main winners alongside their parents or children. In this case, Woods and his son joined forces for the event.
It was Woods’ first race after breaking his right leg in a car crash last February. The injuries were so severe that there were fears the leg might have to be amputated.
During the game, Woods and his son wore the same hat, golf shirt and slacks — matching head to toe. Woods looked relaxed, and the young Woods had many of his father’s mannerisms on the course — from his swing and follow-up to the way he approached the golf ball.
There is no timeline for when Woods will return to competitive golf. Before competing with his son, Woods said his return “is still a long way off.”
Best move in 2021, Kim Ng is GM
In this photo provided by the Miami Marlins, new Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng poses at Marlins Park Stadium before his presentation during a virtual press conference in Miami, Monday, Nov. 16, 2020 Take a photo. Ng discusses how she became the first female general manager of the four major North American professional sports leagues. (Joseph Guz/Miami Marlins via AP)
Before we leave 2021 entirely, one of the best moves this year was when the Miami Marlins selected Jin Wu as their general manager. Ng was hired by former New York Yankees and current CEO and part-owner Derek Jeter. Previously, Ng was assistant general manager for the Yankees from 1998 to 2001 and held other front office positions in Major League Baseball (MLB) during his 30-year career. She has come close to becoming general manager of other teams, including the Seattle Mariners. But every interview was fruitless.
Over the past year, Ng finally got the job to lead the Marlins’ operations. Not only was she the first Asian-American to serve as general manager of an MLB team, she was also the first woman to hold the position. In fact, she is the first woman to hold a general manager position in MLB, NBA, NFL or NHL.
Ng said that when she got the job, “a 10,000-pound weight from [one] shoulders – then shift to [the other] Shoulder. Extrapolating from this, she will be under the microscope after waiting for work, as she has to put together an amazing team for 2020, but it’s unclear whether they can keep the momentum going. Not only will she have to restructure the team, she’ll have to deal with it The budget constraints of assembling a competitive lineup in the midst of a global pandemic.
In her first year, the Marlins finished 67-95 — enough to finish second to last in their division and miss the playoffs after a surprising 2020. As the second year begins (assuming no baseball strikes), Ng will be looking to improve the roster and make another run for the playoffs.
Jason is available at info@nwasianweekly.com.
