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'I'm Really Ready to Go': Fremont's Karen Chen Prepares for Olympic Debut

The agonizing wait is almost over for Karen Chen.

The Fremont figure skater has been in South Korea for several days now, but she has yet to compete in an event at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. That ends Wednesday (Tuesday in the United States).

Chen will take to the ice to challenge some of the best figure skaters in the world in the ladies' single skating short program. She will be skating alongside Team USA teammates Bradie Tennell and Mirai Nagasu.

Karen Chen has always looked up to fellow figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. As Chen looks to win a gold medal in Pyeongchang, she hopes she can learn even more from Yamaguchi and inspire a new generation of skaters in the process.

The 18-year-old figure skater from the Bay Area didn't compete in the team event. She has instead been training outside of Pyeongchang to cut down on distractions.

"It's been like a few weeks, but in a way it didn't feel like it was that long," Chen said. "I feel like it was a great opportunity for me to kind of get used to the environment here and for jet lag to be gone. I think it's great. I'm really ready to go."

[NBCO-GalleryFeed] Karen Chen's Childhood Photos

Chen has admittedly had issues handling nerves in the past leading up to major events, but she says she is learning to accept those nerves as a normal part of the competition process.

Coverage of the ladies' short program kicks off at 5 p.m. PST Tuesday. Tune in to NBC Bay Area or digital platforms to catch the action. 

To watch Garvin Thomas' video, click here.

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