Olympic champion Nathan Chen, Rafael Arutyunyan to be inducted into US Figure Skating Hall of Fame

Olympic champion Nathan Chen and his longtime figure skating coach, Rafael Arutyunyan, will be inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame when it celebrates its 50th anniversary at the national championships next month in St. Louis.

Joseph Inman, who helped to develop the current scoring system after the 2002 Olympics judging scandal, also will be inducted.

The 26-year-old Chen helped to usher in the era of quadruple jumps in men's skating, becoming the first athlete to land five different types of quads in competition. He set several Olympic and world records during a competitive career spanning 12 years, and his overall score of 335.30 set during the 2019 Grand Prix Final still stands to this day.

While he won three world titles and six consecutive U.S. titles, Chen will forever be known for the Olympics. He helped the U.S. win team bronze at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games but struggled in the men's competition, then used that bitter disappointment as fuel to win the men's competition and help to deliver team gold four years later at the 2022 Beijing Games.

Chen stepped away from competition shortly after the Olympics, though he still skates in occasional shows. He graduated from Yale last year and is pursuing a career in medicine, and the Salt Lake City native is part of the athlete advisory committee helping the city prepare to host the 2034 Winter Games.

Chen may have been Arutyunyan's most notable protege over a coaching career spanning 50 years — at least, until reigning world champion and Olympic favorite Ilia Malinin, who has come along and threatened to wipe out many of his compatriots' records.

Arutyunyan competed for the former Soviet Union and coached the Russian national team in the late 1990s before moving to the U.S. and settling in California; he became a citizen six years ago. Arutyunyan has coached many U.S. champions, including Michelle Kwan, Ashley Wagner, Sasha Cohen, Adam Rippon and Mariah Bell, and international star such as Mao Asada and Jeffrey Buttle.

Arutyunyan is the head coach of the high performance team at Great Park Ice and Five Point Arena in Irvine, California.

Inman, a classically trained pianist, was appointed to the committee charged with overhauling figure skating's scoring system after a controversy erupting over the pairs competition at the 2002 Olympics. The longtime judge, referee and technical controller helped to create a system that championed objectivity while bringing program components to the forefront.

Inman also served 21 years with the United States Army band as its lead percussionist and substitute pianist.

“The Class of 2026 holds the prestigious distinction of being the golden class of inductees as we celebrate the Hall of Fame’s 50th anniversary,” said Richard Dalley, the Hall of Fame's nominating committee chair. “In every category, this group features legendary recipients whose impact and legacy elevate the significance of this milestone celebration.”

AP Winter Olympics at https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

FILE - Nathan Chen, of the United States, competes during the men's short program figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 8, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

FILE - Nathan Chen, right, waves next to coach Rafael Arutyunyan after seeing his scores during the men's short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif., Jan. 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications, according to a statement released by his family.

Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said in a news release the family received the medical evaluation on Saturday.

Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at 41 on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator.

Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Typically the immune system releases chemicals to fight off pathogens like bacteria, viruses or fungi, but with sepsis the response goes into overdrive. The results can cause widespread inflammation, form microscopic blood clots and make blood vessels leak.

Busch was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen on May 10 and radioed in to his team saying that he needed a “shot” from a doctor after the race.

However, he bounced back to win the Trucks Series race at Dover last weekend, and then he finished 17th in the All-Star race on Sunday.

Busch, who was preparing to race Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

During the emergency call placed late that afternoon, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”

The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.

NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said he knew Busch wasn’t feeling well recently.

“Yes, but I won’t go into any specifics," Keselowski said. “But then when he ran the Truck race last week, those (thoughts) were honestly kind of erased in my mind.”

Keselowski said running multiple races on the same weekend can be difficult on a driver's health — but most don't want to miss a race for fear of being replaced.

“There’s no shortage of drivers that would love to take my seat or anybody else’s seat if we weren’t feeling well, and I think every driver feels that pressure,” Keselowski said. “All athletes do. It’s not unique to NASCAR in that sense. We’re all thinking to ourselves, ‘I don’t wanna be replaced.’ ... So you try to power through it the best you can."

Busch won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three series over his two-decade career, more than any driver in history.

All 39 drivers in the field for Sunday’s race will race with a black No. 8 decal on their car to honor Busch.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

An in memoriam photo of former driver Kyle Busch is displayed on the video board of the backstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

FILE - Kyle Busch waits for the start of a NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)