GANGNEUNG, South Korea -- Euphoria gave way to heartbreak on Friday at Gangneung Ice Arena. The crowd erupted as reigning Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu laid out a superb performance before American Nathan Chen, a gold-medal favorite, failed to land any of his jumps and crashed to 17th place. Chen is almost certainly out of the running, but five skaters go into Saturday within touching distance of the podium. Here's how it may all shake out.
Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan), 111.68 points
Whether Hanyu would be ready was the big question leading into these Games. No one is asking that now. Not after that short program. Skating to Chopin, Hanyu was simply sublime. The fans were already on their feet before he'd finished. With 111.68 points, he's four points clear of second place. And there's no reason to think he won't do it again in his free skate.
A victory by Hanyu would mark an incredible comeback. He was off the ice until just a few weeks ago, nursing ankle ligaments he damaged in November. He started doing quad jumps again only two weeks ago. But the time off the ice boosted his mental strength, according to his coach Brian Orser.
"A lot of athletes as they get closer to the Olympics, they work on the physical stuff," he said. "But you have to work on the mental stuff just as much. With Yuzu being off, he spent a lot of time on the mental, visualizing the imagery. When he got back on the ice, things came back together."
Javier Fernandez (Spain), 107.58 points
If anyone knows the secret to defeating Hanyu, it's his training partner Javier Fernandez. He has beaten Hanyu before: At the 2016 world championships, he trailed the Japanese skater by 12 points after the short program and came back to win by almost 20. This time, he's only four points down going into the long program. And despite his aura of invincibility, Hanyu also makes mistakes. He fell twice in the free skate in Sochi on his way to the gold medal. If Hanyu wobbles again and Fernandez skates his three-quad routine cleanly, the three-time Olympian could make his first medal a gold.
Shoma Uno (Japan), 104.17 points
As Japan's second-best skater, Uno skates in Hanyu's long shadow. But a medal is definitely within his grasp, and his track record speaks for itself. The 20-year-old has medaled at every event this season, and recorded the highest score in the men's short program of the team event. He will face stiff competition from China's Jin Boyang, who is only 0.85 points behind him.
Jin Boyang (China), 103.32 points
Jin will be hot on Uno's heels after setting a new personal best on Friday with his evocative short program set to music from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." And he'll be remembering his performance at the Four Continents Championship, where he was behind Uno after the short program, just like he is now, but overtook him in the long program to win.
Dmitri Aliev (Olympic Athlete from Russia), 98.98
Aliev is the surprise contender, but he nailed his routine Friday, hitting both his quads as well as a triple axel. A junior champion just two seasons ago, he has less experience than the men above him. He'll need the leaders to make mistakes, but don't count him out.