American Nathan Chen performs in the men’s free skate program at the Skate America figure skating event on Oct. 23 in Las Vegas. (AP file photo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nathan Chen already is one of America’s most accomplished figure skaters. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t take advice from a predecessor.

Chen, who goes for his sixth consecutive national championship this week at what amounts to the Olympic trials for next month’s Beijing Games, has spoken with 2010 gold medalist Evan Lysacek about the path to the top of the podium.

Lysacek won in Vancouver with an unmatched artistic program even though he never had the jumps Chen has. Nowadays, every elite male skater has those jumps, led by Chen and his mastery of the quad.

But Chen understands that heading to and then on the Olympic ice, everything must come together. That didn’t happen for him in 2018, when an awful short program — probably the worst performance of his career — plummeted him so deep in the standings that winning the free skate, which he did, couldn’t lift him onto the podium.

Asked whether he had spoken with any of the past U.S. champions, Chen mentioned Lysacek.

“There hasn’t been really an in-depth conversation, I think the closest I have had was just being able to spend a little bit of time over the past year seeing Evan,” he said. “He visited the rink a few times and he previously worked with Raf (Arutunian, his coach), so they have a really good relationship.

“Conversations were pretty brief, but just sharing some of the worries or things I have sort of dealt with over the past few years, kind of similar things he has dealt with. Kind of framing perspectives around the Olympics and how although it is an extremely meaningful event, at the end of the day, whether you win, whether you lose, you are still going to go home and see your same friends and families; still do the same activities. One moment is not going to define the rest of your life in regards to the Games or even just in the sport.”