As the 2018 Olympic Games approach, athletes across the United States are training for the competition of a lifetime in PyeongChang, South Korea. Figure skating, one of the most popular winter sports, will be especially dramatic this year given the decision by the International Olympic Committee to ban Russia from competing as punishment for severe doping violations. Russians have historically been a podium threat in the world of figure skating, so the IOC’s decision potentially will open a door of opportunity for American competitors.
The 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which will be held from Dec. 29, 2017 to Jan. 8, 2018 in San Jose, CA, will help to determine which American figure skaters are sent to PyeongChang. After taking each competitor’s performances into consideration, a committee will decide who will comprise Team USA. Currently, the U.S. is allowed to send three women for the ladies’ event, three men for the men’s event, one pairs team for the pairs event, and three couples for the ice dance event. Here are contenders for each category:
1. Ladies’
Ashley Wagner:
At 26 years old, Ashley Wagner is considered a veteran of women’s figure skating. She has won three national championships and competed in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where she won a team bronze medal. However, Wagner’s 2017 Grand Prix season left much to be desired; she placed 3rd at Skate Canada and withdrew from her second Grand Prix event at Skate America after stopping halfway through her program due to an ankle infection. This means that her performances at this year’s national championships will play a large role in the decision to send her to PyeongChang, given that she has been largely unable to demonstrate her talents this season.
Bradie Tennell:
As a member of Team USA’s B-team, few expected newcomer Bradie Tennell to succeed this Grand Prix season. However, Tennell turned heads at Skate America in Lake Placid after two beautifully executed programs landed her a bronze medal. In the process, she also beat A-team members Ashley Wagner and Karen Chen in the process. In fact, her scores were the highest of any U.S. lady in the Grand Prix season. Without question, Tennell will be a serious contender after her performances this season.
Karen Chen:
Underdog Karen Chen took the skating world by storm in 2017 when she overtook Gracie Gold and Ashley Wagner for the gold medal. However, Chen struggled with the pressure of international competition, placing 7th at Skate Canada and 8th at Skate America. All eyes are on the reigning champion as she fights to keep her title and a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.
2. Men’s
Nathan Chen:
Reigning U.S. champion Nathan Chen — arguably the most promising of the U.S. men — has broken a number of records in the past few years, including becoming the first man to land seven clean quadruple jumps in a competition. The 18-year-old won the Grand Prix this season, after winning the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow, the Skate America, and the Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan (beating reigning Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan in the process).
Adam Rippon:
Veteran Adam Rippon has been competing at the senior level since 2008, which makes the 28-year-old one of the most experienced men. Rippon won the 2016 U.S. championships, and came in second at 2017 Skate America even after dislocating his shoulder and popping it back into place during his free skate. He lost to fellow American Nathan Chen by just 9.43 points.
Jason Brown:
Jason Brown turned heads when he won the national championship in 2015 without any quadruple jumps. Brown has been overlooked due to the fact that he has been unable to land quad jumps in competition — in men’s figure skating, it’s next to impossible to land on the podium without including the difficult jump in both the long and short programs. To put the significance of a clean quad jump into perspective, 2014 Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu has executed three quad jumps in the second half of his program alone, and 2017 U.S. Champion Nathan Chen included five quadruple jumps in his winning program. Therefore, Brown will have to improve his jumping game if he wishes to be a serious contender for an Olympic medal.
3. Pairs
Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knierim:
Scimeca and Knierim are the 2014 U.S. pewter medalists, the 2015 U.S. champions, and the 2016 U.S. silver medalists. However, the couple (who married in 2016) have not had the most successful of seasons. They came in 10th at the 2017 World Championships, 5th place at the NHK Trophy, and 5th place at Skate America. Unfortunately, U.S. pairs teams in past seasons have also failed to perform well internationally, which is why the U.S. has only been assigned one pairs team spot for the 2018 Olympics.
4. Ice Dance
Maia and Alex Shibutani:
Also known as the Shib Sibs, brother and sister duo Maia and Alex have dazzled the skating world in recent years. They competed in Sochi in 2014, won the 2016 Cup of China, and the 2016 and 2017 U.S. Championships. They also placed 3rd this season at the Grand Prix Final in Nagoya after winning the Rostelecom Cup and Skate America. Without a doubt, the team will be standing on the podium at Nationals in 2018.