32 Best Male Figure Skaters of All Time, Ranked

Nathan Chen is great, but so are these other incredible skaters.

32 Best Male Figure Skaters of All Time, Ranked

Figure skating has long had the reputation of being a feminine sport. As long as your definition of "feminine" is something like, "powerful, graceful, fearless and all around baller," we can agree.

Under the glittery costumes is an extreme sport that requires precision, technical perfection and sheer strength. As effortless as they make it seem, the intense training figure skaters go through to get there is grueling for men and women alike.

We already covered the best female skaters, so we thought it only fair to pay our respects to the incredible male figure skaters that have helped shape the sport, like Dick Button, Kurt Browning and newer names like Nathan Chen. Which of these legends is your ultimate favorite?

32. Axel Paulsen

Birth year: 1855

Year retired: Unknown

Achievements:

Invented the Axel jump
Held the world speed skating title for eight years straight

Bottom Line: Axel Paulsen

Axel Paulsen was one of the earliest figure skaters. Born in the 1800s in Norway, he was mainly a speed skater but became a pivotal influence in figure skating as well. He competed in both disciplines, winning the world championship title in speed skating in 1882.

In the same competition, he was awarded a prize for inventing a new figure skating jump. The Axel jump is the first multirotational jump and the only one in which the skater takes off facing forward.

Paulsen managed to perform it while wearing speed skates and was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1976. He's also credited with constructing the modern speed skate.

Axel Paulsen in Action

31. Ulrich Salchow

Birth year: 1877

Year retired: Unknown

Achievements:

One Olympic gold medal
10-time world champion
Nine-time European champion
Invented the Salchow jump

Bottom Line: Ulrich Salchow

Ulrich Salchow was a Swedish figure skater whose name was the biggest in figure skating during the early 1900s. He shares the record for most World Figure Skating Championship titles (10) with Sonja Henie and Irina Rodnina.

Figure skating was first added to the Olympic lineup at the 1908 Summer Olympic Games (yes, you read that right) in London, and Salchow easily won gold. He went on to win the European championship nine times and invented a jump in which he took off on a back inside edge and landed on the back outside edge of his other foot.

The jump was later named in his honor.

Ulrich Salchow in Action

30. Dick Button

Birth year: 1929

Year retired: 1952

Achievements:

Two-time Olympic champion
Five-time world champion
Only non-European man to become the European champion

Bottom Line: Dick Button

While many skaters start skating practically at birth, you don't necessarily have to do that to become a serious figure skater. Dick Button didn't get serious about the sport until he hit age 12 when his dad overheard someone telling him he'd never make it in the sport.

In this photo, Button was practicing in Moritz, Switzerland, for the Winter Olympics in 1948. He's credited as the first figure skater to land a double Axel in competition and also performed the first triple jump in 1952.

If that isn't enough of a claim to fame, he also invented the flying camel spin and went on to become a skating analyst and sports commentator.

Dick Button in Action

29. Donald Jackson

Birth year: 1940

Year retired: 1962

Achievements:

1962 world champion
Four-time Canadian national champion
Landed the first triple lutz in international competition

Bottom Line: Donald Jackson

Bradley Lord, Laurence Owen, Laurie Owen, Wendy Griner, Donald Jackson

Donald Jackson's name isn't well-known outside of the figure skating world, but he's a legend within it.

He showed so much promise that the Olympic champion Carol Heiss's family took him in so that he could train in New York City. He won silver at the 1959 and 1960 World Championships, but decided to sit out the 1961 competition.

As it turns out, this was the biggest stroke of luck imaginable. The championship that year was cancelled on account of the plane carrying the U.S. team crashed. Had he been scheduled to compete that year, he would have died along with the rest of the team.

Instead, he went on to compete at Worlds in 1962, where he landed the first ever triple lutz in competition and won the world title.

Donald Jackson in Action

28. Toller Cranston

Birth year: 1949

Year retired: 1976

Achievements:

Six-time Canadian national champion
One World bronze medal
One Olympic bronze medal

Bottom Line: Toller Cranston

It's fascinating how figure skating standards evolve over the years. If you watched figure skating today, you'd never know where figure skating got its name.

Originally, figure skating revolved around the art of compulsory figures, in which skaters performed intricate footwork in specific patterns. Toller Cranston wasn't known for his skill in this area, so his scores in competition didn't do his performance as a skater justice.

He began skating at age 7 on hockey skates. Despite the lack of toe picks, he instinctively began trying to dance on ice. It took four years for him to convince his parents to let him pursue the sport seriously. When he did, he discovered he was a clockwise skater, spinning and jumping in the opposite direction from most competitors.

At age 13, he developed Osgood-Schlatter disease. It limited his endurance, so instead of worrying about medals, he focused on the emotive and theatrical elements of the sport. He became known for his innate artistry and expression, along with exceptional flexibility and gravity-defying split jumps.

Toller Cranston in Action

27. John Curry

John Curry at the Winter Olympics in 1976

Birth year: 1949

Year retired: 1976

Achievements:

One Olympic gold medal
1976 world champion
1976 European champion

Bottom Line: John Curry

John Curry and competitors at the Winter Olympics

John Curry, an English skater, originally wanted to become a dancer. His father thought it was too feminine, so he encouraged him to take up figure skating as a compromise. His performance at the 1976 Olympics included a triple toe loop, a triple Salchow and a triple loop jump, resulting in the highest score ever awarded during the 6.0 scoring era.

In total, he earned 105.9 points out of 108, with seven out of nine judges awarding him a perfect score. His skating was highly unique in that he performed jumps in the typical direction but spun clockwise.

While Curry maintains that he'd have preferred to pursue ballet, his skating career was instrumental in propelling the sport forward. He eventually turned pro, focusing on choreography for a show skating company.

John Curry in Action

26. Robin Cousins

Birth year: 1957

Year retired: 1980

Achievements:

One Olympic gold medal
1980 European champion
Three-time World medalist
Four-time British national champion

Bottom Line: Robin Cousins

Robin Cousins got his first taste of ice skating when he tried it out over summer break at age 6. A year and a half later, he asked for lessons for Christmas.

He started out training in both ice dance and singles skating, eventually leaving public school to pursue his figure skating career in earnest. He won his first national title at age 12, and was Britain's junior-level champion by age 14.

With an Olympic gold medal and seven other medals under his belt, he retired from amateur figure skating in 1980 and proceeded to launch a successful career as a show skater.

He was known for his ability to spin in both directions, which was very uncommon at the time. He also commentated on figure skating events for BBC and was the head judge of "Dancing on Ice" for eight years.

Robin Cousins in Action

25. Brian Orser

Birth year: 1961

Year retired: 1988

Achievements:

Two Olympic silver medals
1987 world champion
Eight-time Canadian champion

Bottom Line: Brian Orser

Brian Orser was a competitive Canadian figure skater with a lengthy medal record. His rivalry with another Brian, Brian Boitano, turned the 1988 Olympic games into a so-called "Battle of the Brians."

Orser was the second man to land a triple Axel in competition. Impressively, he did so on the junior level, even though not many senior skaters were trying it.

After his competitive skating career, he skated with Stars on Ice for two decades, also becoming a coach to many of today's competitive skaters, including Yuna Kim and Yuzuru Hanyu.

Brian Orser in Action

24. Grzegorz Filipowski

Birth year: 1966

Year retired: 1992

Achievements:

Three-time Olympic competitor
Two-time European medalist
First skater to perform a triple-triple combination in competition

Bottom Line: Grzegorz Filipowski

Grzegorz Filipowski, an underrated figure skater from the 1980s, didn't have the most impressive medal record. He competed in three different Winter Olympic games, but never placed higher than fifth. He also missed much of the 1987 season due to a stress fracture.

Still, he was the first skater ever to perform a triple-triple combination (two triples in a row) in competition. After his amateur career was over, he went pro, and later became a coach at York Region Skating Academy in Canada.

Grzegorz Filipowski in Action

23. Christopher Bowman

Birth year: 1967

Year retired: 1992

Achievements:

Two-time world medalist
Two-time Olympic competitor
Two-time U.S. national champion

Bottom Line: Christopher Bowman

Two-time World medalist and two-time Olympic competitor Christopher Bowman was born in Hollywood, California. As a kid, figure skating wasn't his first passion.

He toyed with becoming an actor, appearing in two episodes of "Little House on the Prairie" and a few TV commercials. Once he took up skating, however, he fell in love with the sport and pursued it seriously for over two decades.

He was coached to Worlds by the renowned Frank Carroll, and Brian Boitano considered him one of the most talented, crowd-pleasing skaters of all time. Bowman also toured with Ice Capades for years, but he developed an addiction to cocaine that plagued him for life.

He ended up dying from an accidental drug overdose when he was only 40.

Christopher Bowman in Action

22. Brian Boitano

Birth year: 1963

Year retired: 1994

Achievements:

One Olympic gold medal
Two-time world champion
Four-time U.S. champion

Bottom Line: Brian Boitano

Brian Boitano was one of the skaters who really pushed the envelope in terms of jumping. In 1982, he became the first-ever American to land a triple Axel. A few years later, he showed off the "Boitano triple Lutz," in which he held his left arm above his head in the middle of the jump.

In 1983, he became the first skater to ever land all six triple jumps in competition. He even attempted quadruple jumps that most people considered to be an impossible feat. He landed double footed, but even attempting quads was noteworthy at the time.

He went on to win 10 professional competitions in a row, before turning to show skating. He also won an Emmy for his performance in "Carmen on Ice."

Brian Boitano in Action

21. Sergei Grinkov

Birth year: 1967

Year retired (passed away): 1995

Achievements:

1988 and 1994 Olympic champion
Four-time world champion

Bottom Line: Sergei Grinkov

Sergei Mikhailovich Grinkov didn't always have a promising figure skating career. He began skating when he was 5, but his coach wasn't impressed by his solo skating.

By the time he was 14, he was paired up with 11-year old Ekaterina Gordeeva. The pair ended up winning nearly every competition they participated in. They finished first 24 times out of the 31 competitions they won at the senior and professional levels. Only once did they not make it onto the podium.

Grinkov and Gordeeva were one of the few pairs teams to ever complete a quadruple twist lift in competition. They were also one of the few who successfully turned their partnership into a romantic relationship, getting married and having a child together before continuing to compete.

Tragically, their success was cut short when Grinkov died of a sudden heart attack during practice in Lake Placid, New York. It was later found that he had a genetic condition predisposing him to clogged arteries.

Sergei Grinkov in Action

20. Kurt Browning

Birth year: 1966

Year retired: 1994

Achievements:

Four-time world champion
Four-time Canadian champion
Three-time world professional champion
Landed the first ratified quadruple jump

Bottom Line: Kurt Browning

Kurt Browning, a former Canadian figure skater, remains one of the most memorable names in men's figure skating. He was such a prominent figure that he was invited to carry the Canadian flag during the 1994 Olympic games opening ceremony in Lillehammer, Norway.

Browning made numerous notable achievements during his lengthy career, but one was particularly memorable. He landed the first ratified quadruple jump at the 1988 world championships, later stating, "I remember that there were a few people landing the jump (in practice) long before I did, and by watching them, I was inspired to try it myself. After landing it, I certainly expected more skaters to start doing it in competition. I was surprised in the next few years when that really did not happen."

He competed with Brian Boitano throughout his career and eventually defeated him at the 2006 Ice Wars competition by a narrow margin. One of his most famous programs was to "Singin' in the Rain," in which he copied the moves of Gene Kelly on ice. The program is still performed today because it was such a tremendous hit.

Kurt Browning in Action

19. Todd Eldredge

Birth year: 1971

Year retired: 2002

Achievements:

1996 world champion
Six-time U.S. champion
Three-time Olympian

Bottom Line: Todd Eldredge

Todd Eldredge learned to skate when he was 5 years old. He moved to Philadelphia to train with renowned-coach Richard Callaghan. As he grew more serious about skating, his family relocated so he could join the Detroit Skating Club in Michigan. He quickly made a name for himself at the world junior championships, taking silver in 1987 and gold in 1988.

The same year, he took bronze at U.S. nationals and went on to win multiple world championships and U.S. titles. In 2012, he married another figure skater, Sabrina Corbaci, with whom he shares two sons.

Todd Eldredge in Action

18. Alexei Yagudin

Birth year: 1980

Year retired: 2003

Achievements:

One Olympic gold medal
Four-time world champion
Two-time Grand Prix Final champion

Bottom Line: Alexei Yagudin

Alexei Yagudin would never have learned to skate if it hadn't been for his mom, Zoya, who signed him up for classes to improve his health. She had no idea how much of a knack for it he'd end up having. He managed to land all his double jumps before the age of 10, five triple jumps by 12 and the triple Axel before hitting 13.

It only gets more impressive from there. He's the first and only skater, male or female, to manage a Golden Slam, in which a competitor wins all five major championships in one season. After achieving this legendary status in 2001, he moved on to touring as a show skater, later becoming a sports commentator for Russian television networks.

Alexei Yagudin in Action

17. Elvis Stojko

Birth year: 1972

Year retired: 2006

Achievements:

Two Olympic silver medals
Three-time world champion
Seven-time Canadian champion

Bottom Line: Elvis Stojko

Elvis Stojko, a skater from Canada with Hungarian and Slovenian heritage, was named after Elvis Presley. Destined for stardom, Stojko learned to skate when he was only 4. He won his first competition at 11. A few years later at the 1991 World Championships, he made history, becoming the first person ever to land a quadruple-double jump combo.

To achieve this startling feat, he studied videotapes of Kurt Browning, Brian Boitano and other famous skaters who had previously landed quads. After he retired, he married Mexican figure skater Gladys Orozco. The couple shares 140 acres near Bowmanville, Canada. Stojko also has an icerink named after him in his hometown of Richmond Hill.

Elvis Stojko in Action

16. Jeffrey Buttle

Birth year: 1982

Year retired: 2008

Achievements:

One Olympic bronze medal
2008 world champion
Three-time Canadian champion

Bottom Line: Jeffrey Buttle

Elvis Stojko was the last Canadian man to win a world title until Jeffrey Buttle came around. Buttle took over the title in 2008, and the road to get there wasn't easy. He began skating when he was barely old enough to walk, beginning competitions at just 6 years old. He also participated in competitive ballet as part of his training.

He competed in ice dancing with his sister Meghan and trained as a figure skater at the Mariposa School of Skating in Ontario, Canada. After his competitive skating career was over, he began touring with Canadian Stars on Ice and continues competing on a professional level. He also now works as a choreographer for other competitive skaters.

Jeffrey Buttle in Action

15. Scott Hamilton

Birth year: 1958

Year retired: 2009

Achievements:

One Olympic gold medal
Four-time world champion
Known for his signature backflip

Bottom Line: Scott Hamilton

Scott Hamilton gold medalist figure skater

Scott Hamilton is one of the most memorable male figure skaters to date.

In addition to the dozens of medals and championships he won, he was one of the few skaters of his time to routinely perform backflips on ice. While the skill is banned in competition, he was able to use it in his exhibition routines. It was a massive crowd-pleaser, along with his entrancing footwork choreography.

After he retired, he didn't slack off. He authored not one, but three, books and is heavily involved in charity work.

Scott Hamilton in Action

14. Stéphane Lambiel

Birth year: 1985

Year retired: 2010

Achievements:

One Olympic silver medal
Two-time Grand Prix Final champion
Nine-time Swiss national champion

Bottom Line: Stéphane Lambiel

Most kids are busy figuring out long division at age 10, but Stéphane Lambiel, a French-speaking Swiss competitive figure skater, was landing his first triple toe.

While he isn't the most decorated skater, he's one of the most unique. The vast majority of figure skaters jump and spin counter-clockwise. A handful are lefties, jumping clockwise instead. Lambiel, on the other hand, can jump and spin in both directions. He was even able to do two double axels in a row, changing rotational direction between them.

Knee injuries slowed him down in 2009, but he made a comeback in 2010, reclaiming his title as the Swiss national champion. He's also known for helping to design his own costumes.

Today, he remains involved in the sport, working as a choreographer and coach.

Stéphane Lambiel in Action

13. Johnny Weir

Birth year: 1984

Year retired: 2013

Achievements:

Three-time U.S. champion
Two world bronze medals
Two-time Olympian

Bottom Line: Johnny Weir

Johnny Weir performs in figure skating championship

John Weir, an American figure skater and television commentator, got a "late" start in the skating world. He first laced up a pair of skates at the age of 12, but he easily caught up with his peers. He became one of the youngest U.S. national champions and was the first skater to win the national title three years in a row since Brian Boitano did so in the 1980s.

Weir's skating style is very lyrical and artistic, influenced by Russian skating technique and culture. Weir wasn't afraid to stand out and make some noise. He chose costumes that weren't typically worn by male skaters at the time, and he was never shy about making his position on social justice issues known. This caused some tension in the U.S. Figure Skating community, but the sport has gradually become more accepting and supportive.

After retirement in 2013, Weir became an NBC commentator alongside his friend Tara Lipinski. He's also an LGBTQ activist, officially coming out in 2011.

Johnny Weir in Action

12. Brian Joubert

Brian Joubert at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy

Birth year: 1984

Year retired: 2014

Achievements:

2007 world champion
Three-time European champion
Eight-time French national champion
2006 Grand Prix Final champion

Bottom Line: Brian Joubert

Despite losing a kidney as an infant, Brian Joubert started skating before he was old enough to attend kindergarten. Initially, he planned on playing hockey, but he became enamored with the concept of jumping on ice. His instinct was on point. He was a strong jumper throughout his figure skating career.

Joubert was among the earliest skaters to routinely perform quadruple jumps, boasting a consistent quad toe loop. He was hailed as the first skater to land 100 quads in international competition in 2013.

Thanks to his reputation as a national heartthrob, he was featured on a TV show called "Miracle Body." According to the show, the strength of his feet is comparable to that of an elite track-and-field athlete, and he has mastered the art of jumping at the perfect angle.

Brian Joubert in Action

11. Evgeni Plushenko

Evgeni Plushenko, four-time European Champion

Birth year: 1982

Year retired: 2017

Achievements:

Two Olympic gold medals
Three-time world champion
Seven-time European champion
10-time Russian champion
Four-time Grand Prix Final champion

Bottom Line: Evgeni Plushenko

Evgeni Plushenko wasn't athletic by nature. He was prone to falling ill as a young child, so his mother enrolled him in figure-skating classes in hopes that exercise would improve his health. He first trained in Volgograd, Russia, before moving to Saint Petersburg at age 11. There, he became rivals with Alexei Yagudin, with whom he shared a coach.

He took him down at the 2000 European Championships but fell flat at the world championships, placing fourth. Still, his medal record is impressive. During his career, he won an impressive four Olympic medals, a number only topped by Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue. He also earned a record 22 Grand Prix titles.

Evgeni Plushenko in Action

10. Charlie White

Charlie White performing with Meryl Davis

Birth year: 1987

Year retired: 2017

Achievements:

2014 Olympic champion
Two-time world champion
Five-time Grand Prix Final champion
Six-time U.S. national champion

Bottom Line: Charlie White

Charlie While with Meryl Davis during a dance routine

Charlie White, like many elite figure skaters, began young. He began training at age 5, first competing as a single skater, then moving on to ice dance. While he did win a bronze medal at the novice level, ice dance was his real claim to fame.

He teamed up with Meryl Davis in 1997. The pair was the first team of Americans to win the world ice dancing title, and the first Americans to win the Olympic title, too. They were also the first ice dancing team to earn level fours on every element.

They ended up having one of the longest ice dancing careers in history. White also was a competitive hockey player on the state level.

Charlie White in Action

9. Evan Lysacek

Birth year: 1985

Year retired: 2014

Achievements:

One Olympic gold medal
One-time world champion
Two-time Four Continents champion
Two-time U.S. champion

Bottom Line: Evan Lysacek

Evan Lysacek is one of the more familiar names on this list. The American figure skater began skating at the age of 8 after his grandma bought him a pair of skates. He wanted to play hockey, but his mom instead signed him up for figure-skating classes alongside his sister.

The rest is history. He took to it like a fish to water, becoming such an accomplished skater that he won the United States Olympic Committee's Sportsman of the Year award in 2010 and was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2016.

He later studied acting, appearing in a few short films, and pursued a career in real estate. He also began designing costumes alongside Vera Wang, who used to design his own costumes. Today, Lysacek hops around from his multitude of houses, which he owns in Chicago, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Evan Lysacek in Action

8. Patrick Chan

Birth year: 1990

Year retired: 2018

Achievements:

One Olympic gold medal
Three-time world champion
Two-time Grand Prix Final champion
Three-time Four Continents champion
Ten-time Canadian national champion

Bottom Line: Patrick Chan

Patrick Chan remains one of the biggest names in figure skating after he dominated the competition circuit through much of the 2010s. The Canadian skater has more medals than we can count, and his skating was always a pleasure to watch. Known for his elegance and artistry, Chan's skating constantly evolved from season to season. The audience never knew what to expect from him, which kept the sport from becoming stagnant and predictable.

He set a world record in 2011 with a score of 93.02 in his short program and another for his free skate program with a score of 280.98. He was given the Lou Marsh Award, marking him as Canada's best athlete, to commemorate the achievement. In total, he won over 30 titles and medals.

Patrick Chan in Action

7. Denis Ten

Birth year: 1993

Year retired (passed away): 2018

Achievements:

One Olympic bronze medal
Two-time World medalist
2015 Four Continents champion
Five-time Kazakhstan national champion

Bottom Line: Denis Ten

Denis Ten at World Figure Skating Championship in 2013

The story of Denis Ten is nothing short of heartbreaking. Figure skating is an expensive sport, and one that's not particularly inviting to outsiders. To succeed, skaters need access to year-round ice, experienced coaches and quality equipment — all of which are challenging to come by in many countries.

Ten, a skater from Kazakhstan, defied the odds, becoming the first skater from his country to make it to the world podium. He was also the first skater from Kazakhstan to win an International Skating Union competition. He qualified for the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014, and was the ambassador for the Olympic Bidding Committee "Almaty 2022."

His dreams were cut short in the summer of 2018 when he was killed by two armed robbers who were trying to steal the mirrors of his car.

Denis Ten in Action

6. Adam Rippon

Birth year: 1989

Year retired: 2018

Achievements:

One Olympic bronze medal
One-time U.S. champion
One-time Four Continents champion

Bottom Line: Adam Rippon

Adam Rippon, the eldest of six, hails from Scranton, Pennsylvania. He had severe hearing loss at birth, but surgery successfully restored the majority of his hearing before his first birthday. He began skating when he was 10 after his mother brought him along with her to the rink.

In addition to the long list of medals he won, Rippon was an excellent dancer. After retirement in 2018, he won season 26 of "Dancing with the Stars" with professional dancer Jenna Johnson. He was also included in Time magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People of 2018.

Adam Rippon in Action

5. Javier Fernández

Birth year: 1991

Year retired: 2019

Achievements:

Two-time world champion
Seven-time European champion
Eight-time Spanish champion
One Olympic bronze medal

Bottom Line: Javier Fernández

Javier López, a Spanish skater, came from humble beginnings. His mother was a mail carrier, and his father was an army mechanic, so affording skating lessons was no easy task. His father took a second job to support Javier's training and also the training of his sister, Laura, who competed in ice dancing and ladies' singles.

He started landing triples when he was only 12 and later became the first skater from Spain to win a medal at the Olympic Games, an ISU Championship or a Grand Prix competition. He's only the second man to break the100-point barrier in the short program, the 200-point barrier in the long program and the 300-point barrier in the total score.

For his achievements, the Spanish government awarded him the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit.

Javier Fernández in Action

4. Scott Moir

Birth year: 1987

Year retired: 2019

Achievements:

Two-time Olympic champion
Three-time World champion
2016 Grand Prix Final champion
Eight-tie Canadian national champion

Bottom Line: Scott Moir

Scott Patrick Moir, an ice dancer from Canada, remains one of the biggest names in ice dance. While ice dancers aren't known for their gravity-defying multi-rotational jumps, the grace, beauty and romanticism of their skating tends to appeal more to the crowds.

Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue paired up in 1997 when they were only 7 and 9 years of age. Since then, they've won so many competitions it's hard to keep track of them all. When they won their third Olympic gold, they officially became the most decorated Canadian ice dance team to date.

They also remain the only ice dancers to attain the lofty Super Slam title, having won every major competition in their junior and senior careers.

Scott Moir in Action

3. Jason Brown

Birth year: 1994

Year retired: Still active

Achievements:

Nine-time Grand Prix medalist
One-time U.S. champion
One Olympic bronze medal
Two-time Four Continents medalist

Bottom Line: Jason Brown

Jason Brown started skating at just 3.5 years old. He trained in the Chicago area growing up and quickly advanced. In 2014, he became one of the youngest male skaters to win an Olympic medal.

He also skated pairs for three years alongside Thea Milburn and recently won gold at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy competition. He also took silver at the 2021 Skate Canada International event to start. He wasn't thrilled with the result but still ended up medaling at both Grand Prix events of the season.

In the free skate, he attempted a quadruple Salchow. While he landed two-footed, he was still credited with fully rotating it.

Jason Brown in Action

2. Yuzuru Hanyu

Birth year: 1994

Year retired: Still active

Achievements:

Two-time Olympic champion
Two-time world champion
Four-time Grand Prix Final champion
One-time Four Continents chapion
Six-time Japanese champion

Bottom Line: Yuzuru Hanyu

Yuzuru Hanyu started skating primarily because he was a pain in the neck. He was always getting into mischief during his sister's lessons, so her coach suggested he try out the sport himself. Needless to say, it was a good call. He has medaled at six world championships and is the only male skater aside from Jan Hoffman to win seven championship titles.

He's also the first male singles skater to earn a Super Slam, meaning that he won every major competition in his junior and senior career. He has broken 19 world records, and he's the first Asian men's singles skater to win an Olympic gold medal. Additionally, he was the youngest male skater to win gold since Dick Button in 1948 and the first skater in history to land a quad loop in competition.

Endearingly, his mother made many of his costumes and stayed with him throughout his training in Canada.

Yuzuru Hanyu in Action

1. Nathan Chen

Birth year: 1999

Year retired: Still active

Achievements:

Three-time world champion
2022 Olympic gold medalist
2017 Four Continents champion
Three-time Grand Prix Final champion
Six-time U.S. champion

Bottom Line: Nathan Chen

Nathan Chen may be the most recognizable name in men's figure skating today. When he was 3, he borrowed a pair of his sister's skates and took to the ice. After his first competition in 2003, he quickly climbed the ranks. He's now the first skater to land five different quadruple jumps and eight quads in a single competition.

Following the 2018 Winter Olympics, he enjoyed a winning streak through October 2021. As of 2022, Chen remains the world record holder for all three categories: the free skate, short program and combined score.

He also attended Yale with a major in statistics and data science, but he took a leave of absence to prep for the Beijing Olympic Games.