Elton John shouts out Nathan Chen at concert

By OlympicTalkApr 20, 2022, 8:36 AM EDT

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The Stars on Ice cast was in attendance for an Elton John concert on Tuesday night, and somebody must have tipped off the music legend.

In Greensboro, N.C., John shouted out Nathan Chen for using the musician’s songs, most notably “Rocket Man,” in his free skate to win the Olympics.

“It took on a new meaning when I watched the Winter Olympics this year,” John said at the concert in a video posted by Olympic teammate Madison Chock. “Professionalism, athleticism, just incredible. I was just so honored that he chose my song.”

After Chen won gold in Beijing, John tweeted congratulations.

“It’s nuts to think that he even knows that I exist,” Chen said on “Access Hollywood” in February.

Chen first used an Elton John medley in 2019 after one of his choreographers, Marie-France Dubreuil, saw the film “Rocketman” and felt she could put together a strong program for him using its music.

“I love to listen to Elton John,” Chen said in 2019. “I don’t feel like I’m an embodiment of his character. … [The program] is a way for me to enjoy his music and allow other people to enjoy it as well.”

Chen originally had a different free skate for the Olympic season, then switched back to the Elton John medley in December.

NBC Sports research contributed to this report.

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Elton John shouting out Nathan Chen, for his “Rocket Man” program, at a concert last night via Madison Chock’s Instagram. pic.twitter.com/ct9eIcZCut

— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) April 20, 2022

Congratulations @nathanwchen for winning Gold skating to Rocket Man in the free skate finals in Beijing 🥇 pic.twitter.com/c9C2Kc3zti

— Elton John (@eltonofficial) February 10, 2022

Coco Gauff into French Open quarterfinals, where Iga Swiatek may await

By OlympicTalkJun 5, 2023, 1:24 PM EDT

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Coco Gauff swept into the French Open quarterfinals, where she could play Iga Swiatek in a rematch of last year’s final.

Gauff, the sixth seed, beat 100th-ranked Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 7-5, 6-2 in the fourth round. She next plays Swiatek or 66th-ranked Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, who meet later Monday.

Gauff earned a 37th consecutive win over a player ranked outside the top 50, dating to February 2022. She hasn’t faced a player in the world top 60 in four matches at Roland Garros, but the degree of difficulty is likely to ratchet up in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

Swiatek won all 12 sets she’s played against Gauff, who at 19 is the only teenager in the top 49 in the world.

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

Also Monday, No. 7 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia dispatched 36th-ranked American Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-1, breaking all eight of Pera’s service games.

Jabeur, runner-up at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year, has now reached the quarterfinals of all four majors.

Jabeur next faces 14th-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia, who won 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-5 over Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo, who played on a protected ranking of 68. Haddad Maia became the second Brazilian woman to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal in the Open Era (since 1968) after Maria Bueno, who won seven majors from 1959-1966.

Pera, a 28 year-old born in Croatia, was the oldest U.S. singles player to make the fourth round of a major for the first time since Jill Craybas at 2005 Wimbledon. Her defeat left Gauff as the lone American singles player remaining out of the 35 entered in the main draws.

The last American to win a major singles title was Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open. The 11-major drought matches the longest in history (since 1877) for American men and women combined.

In the men’s draw, 2022 French Open runner-up Casper Ruud reached the quarterfinals by beating 35th-ranked Chilean Nicolas Jarry 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5. He’ll next play sixth seed Holger Rune of Denmark, a 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7) winner over 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina.

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U.S. earns first three-peat in Para hockey world championship history

By OlympicTalkJun 5, 2023, 8:49 AM EDT

International Paralympic Committee

The U.S. trounced rival Canada 6-1 to become the first nation to three-peat in world Para hockey championship history.

Tournament MVP Declan Farmer scored twice, and Josh Misiewicz, David Eustace, Jack Wallace and Kevin McKee added goals. Jen Lee made eight saves in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on Sunday.

Farmer, who had nine goals in five games for the tournament, also scored twice in Paralympic final wins over Canada in 2018 and 2022 and the last world championship final against Canada in 2021. Farmer, 25, already owns the career national team record of more than 250 points.

The U.S. beat Canada in a third consecutive world final dating to 2019, but this was the most lopsided gold-medal game in championship history. The U.S. also won the last four Paralympic titles dating to 2010.

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