[olympics] I watched Nathan Chen's short program and I am in pain

honestly how was anybody supposed to follow Yuzuru Hanyu, after that score

poor Chen :<

man the way people are reacting really reminds me of how everyone went after Gabby Douglas at the last summer olympics

hey maybe lets stop putting immense pressure and expectations on these kids and then shaming them for cracking under it

aw man are people SHAMING him? fuck shit I just feel real bad for him

oh yeah people being like HE GOT OUR EXPECTATIONS UP FOR NOTHING

like. shut up!!!! poor kid

and saying he didn't deserve the hype

what the ACTUAL fuck. why are people horrible

he is real talented and did an objectively amazing thing and then just, had a real bad day at the olympics because he's young and the pressure was intense and also sometimes you just have bad days even when you are an olympian??

heck yeah like i would not be able to handle being at the olympics with all that pressure, it always impresses me when they can, especially the young kids

also, again, how was anybody supposed to follow Hanyu. like. shit.

he's genuinely an excellent skater who is having a rough time

and it doesn't help that the media was constantly talking about him like he HAD to medal

hanyu blows right in and takes the top spot with that incredible program and then Chen's up right after that?? HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW THAT

shit yeah that too

like yeah if you'd asked me who I'd thought would medal, I would probably have said THE KID WHO DID FIVE QUADS i mean with the caveat that I have known about him for like three days but

a kid?? under intense pressure?? and not much experience in handling that pressure??? BE KIND TO THE CHILD HE IS PROBABLY FEELING LIKE SHIT RIGHT NOW

yeah and i mean i get being excited about him but when all the headlines are like THIS IS THE GUY WHO IS GOING TO WIN US THE GOLD like

i can only imagine how stressful that is for him

yeah seriously, even at Olympics-level stress there is a difference between "I really want to win gold for my country" and "MY COUNTRY IS COUNTING ON ME TO WIN GOLD AND NOTHING LESS WILL DO"

I hope he'll be okay for the long program and this doesn't eat him up too much more than the pressure already was

Yeah! And if not he's young and can definitely come back for the next Olympics

I definitely hope he will, he does skate beautifully