Nathan Chen is not competing right now – including at the 2026 Winter Olympics – because he has chosen to step away from competition to focus on medical school and a new career in medicine, after already achieving everything he wanted in figure skating.

Quick Scoop

1. What’s the official reason?

Nathan Chen has paused his figure skating career but has not formally retired.

Instead of training and competing, he is:

  • Applying to and attending medical school.
  • Exploring a future career in cardiology or oncology, with an interest in genetics.

He has said that at this point in his life, he feels he has already accomplished enough in skating and is satisfied with his career.

“I’ve already accomplished enough in skating that I’m quite satisfied with my career.”

2. Why isn’t he at the 2026 Olympics?

Looking specifically at “why is Nathan Chen not competing” in 2026:

  • He confirmed he will not defend his Olympic title at Milano Cortina 2026.
  • His priority now is education and building a medical career, not another Olympic cycle.
  • He has not skated competitively since February 2022, after winning his Olympic gold in Beijing.

So it’s not a sudden injury-based withdrawal from 2026; it’s a long-planned shift in life direction.

3. Did injuries or burnout play a role?

There was a time when injuries affected his schedule:

  • In 2022, right after Beijing, he withdrew from the World Championships citing a “nagging injury.”

However, the current explanation for why Nathan Chen is not competing now is mainly:

  • Wanting to move on to a new chapter outside of elite sport.
  • Choosing a path where he feels he can help people more directly, through medicine.

Any talk about “burnout” or personal feelings beyond what he has said publicly is speculation; he’s framed it as a thoughtful, voluntary transition rather than being forced out.

4. What is he doing instead of competing?

Right now, Chen is:

  • Working through pre-med/medical school steps, including MCAT and applications.
  • Considering specialties like cardiology, oncology, and possibly cardiothoracic surgery, while thinking about work–life balance.
  • Staying connected to skating through camps and youth training initiatives, not as a full-time competitor.

An example: he has run skating camps around U.S. cities such as Irvine, Boston, Detroit, and Seattle to stay involved in the sport in a different role.

5. Is this permanent?

  • He does not describe himself as officially retired.
  • But he has made it clear he does not plan to return in time for the 2026 Olympics and is focused on medicine for the foreseeable future.

Given his age (26) and the demands of both elite sport and medical training, a full comeback at the highest level would be difficult, but not completely impossible in theory. That said, nothing he’s said recently hints at a competitive return; he sounds content with his legacy. TL;DR: Nathan Chen isn’t competing – including at the 2026 Winter Olympics – because he has consciously shifted from elite figure skating to pursuing medical school and a career in medicine, saying he feels fulfilled by what he already achieved on the ice.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.