2025 U.S. National Championships

Malinin Scores Triumphant Third Consecutive U.S. Title

Ilia Malinin, the 2024 World champion, 2023 World bronze medalist, ISU Grand Prix Final victor in 2023-24 and 2024-25, two-time U.S. titlist in 2023 and 2024 and 2022 U.S. silver medalist, laid down the proverbial golden hammer in characteristic style as he triumphantly claimed his third consecutive U.S. title at the U.S. Championships this week.

Malinin, who was also a resolute first in the short program at this event, locked in the gold medal in an extraordinary free skate in which he reeled off six quads with quickness, command and ease, along with superb spins, exciting footwork and a huge back flip, among other notable things, for which he earned a whopping 331.31 total, numbers that catapulted him ahead of the rest of the competition by nearly 45 points. (44.82 to be exact)

Skating to ‘I’m Not a Vampire’ by Falling in Reverse, Malinin earned a 219.23 for his dazzling performance, receiving a 128.18 technical element score and 92.05 component score.

“I felt that it was definitely a pretty good performance and I think I have definitely improved a lot since the Grand Prix Final,” said Malinin, who trains with his parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, both of whom were Olympic singles contenders, in Reston, Virginia, as well as with Raphael Arutyunyan. “I’m definitely happy with all the progress I’ve made at this competition, but now I can use that time to take everything that I’ve learned from my performances and really try to develop them and get it as perfect as I can before Worlds.”

Andrew Torgashev, the 2023 U.S. bronze medalist who trains in Irvine, California with Raphael Arutyunyan, claimed silver in stellar fashion, maintaining his second-place standing in the short with an adrenalized free skate to ‘Scheherazade’ by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for which he was awarded a 191.55 and 286.49 total.

In this high-powered program, Torgashev reeled off a quad toe, quad toe-double toe, triple loop, triple Axel, triple Axel-double Axel sequence, triple Lutz-1/2 loop-triple Salchow and triple flip with power, height and ownership, skills and efforts which also generated a huge standing ovation from the super-enthusiastic Wichita crowd.

“It’s validating whenever you’re on the podium and it makes it seem like your hard work has been worth it,” said Torgashev. “It can inspire confidence and definitely gives motivation to keep training and keep pushing on.”

Camden Pulliken, the 2024 U.S. bronze medalist who was fourth in the short, claimed the bronze medal with his stellar free skate to ‘Outro’ and ‘Solitude’ by M83 for which he was awarded a 164.16 and 252.92 total.

Pulliken, who also placed fourth in the free skate at this event, executed a triple Lutz-double toe, triple Axel-1/2 loop-3 Salchow, triple loop, triple Axel, triple Lutz-double Axel sequence and triple flip as well as solid spins and compelling footwork.

“I think that sitting on the podium for the second time is super validating. I was happy to be here in Wichita and it was a great city that has hosted us,” said Pulliken, who trains in New York City with Alexander Johnson where he also works as a full-time finance industry professional. “So it was a great time being here.” 

Efimova and Mitrofanov Capture U.S. Pairs Crown

Alisa Efimova & Misha Mitrofanov, the 2024 U.S. silver medalists who work with Olga Ganicheva and Alexei Letov at the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, clinched the U.S. title in remarkable style in the pairs free skate event held in Wichita this past Saturday with a superb free skate program to Serge Lama’s ‘Je Suis Malade’ for which they earned a 142.87 for a 211.90 total.

This memorable performance, which resulted in Efimova & Mitrofanov catapulting right to the top final position after having finished third in the short program, was defined by power, skill, artistry and drama.

The two, who have only been skating together since 2023, reeled off a soaring split triple twist, side-by-side triple toes, a huge throw triple loop and throw triple Salchow, high-powered lifts and an interesting left forward outside death spiral, among other notable things, with great strength, command and ease.

“This is our second Nationals and I am very proud of us that we made it on top of the podium,” said Efimova. “It’s my dream right now for our [whole] team and community. I really wanted to do it for them because they do so much for us, our coaches, our parents, our skating club and everyone. I’m just really happy it turned out this way and I want to say thank you to them.”

Mitrofanov further elaborated.

“It was always a dream of mine to be able to stand on a podium and so today it’s very surreal. That’s the best way to put it right now,” said Mitrofanov. “I definitely want to thank my coaches, the club and our family. It wasn’t just us winning tonight, there was a whole community. For us right now it’s that we didn’t just win, but also the community.”

Katie McBeath & Daniil Parkman, another relatively new pair team who had only joined forces back in 2023, were another golden story to emerge out of this event with their impressive jump from fourth place in the short to second overall with their stellar free skate for which they were awarded a 127.65 and 190.57 total.

This powerful team, who trains with Jenni Meno-Sand, Todd Sand, Brandon Frazier and Christine Binder at Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, California, earned the event’s second-highest marks for their performance to Josh Groban’s ‘Per Te’ that was defined by an extensive array of top-grade elements as well as engaging artistry.

In their program, the duo reeled off a huge split triple twist, a rock-solid triple toe-double Axel-double Axel sequence, huge throw triple loop, incredible fluid lifts and an innovative choreographic sequence, among other things, with all the called elements being marked at the optimal level four.

“It’s feels absolutely amazing,” said McBeath. “It has been a dream to be on a National podium and it came true today, so I’m very happy about that.”

Parkman agreed.

“It feels kind of unexplainable because some things were tough in the season, but with the support of our coaches, clubs, Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena and each other’s support, we are here. Thank you. Thank you very much everybody.”

Ellie Kam & Danny O’Shea, the 2024 U.S. gold medalists, 2023 U.S. bronze medalists and 2024-2025 ISU Grand Prix finalists who lead the 12-entry competitive roster in the short, wound up with the bronze medal in the final standings for their valiant and courageous free skate to ‘Stand By Me’ by Ben E. King as performed by Florence and the Machine and ‘Concealed Passion’ by Audiomachine for which they earned a 112.38 and 189.57 total.

While their program featured an array of showstopping lifts, dramatic death spiral and outstanding combination spin, there were some glitches, including a missed a throw triple loop, throw triple Lutz and triple jump sequence and tumble as they finished their final lift.

Still, it was still more than clear that Kam and O’Shea, who train with Drew Meekins, Bruno Marcotte and Sandy Straub in Colorado Springs, were all about a top standard in regard to their rock-solid skating foundation, technique and general execution and alignment, something that transmitted powerfully among to the Wichita InTrust Bank Arena crowd, who cheered for them loudly throughout their entire program.

“Even though we didn’t have the best performance that we wanted to tonight, we are definitely still so blessed to be up on a podium with these amazing athletes we got to compete with,” said Kam. “They’re all so amazing.”

O’Shea concurred.

“We fought really hard tonight, but you know we’re going to use it as motivation,” said O’Shea. “To see the state of U.S. pairs continue to grow and push forward by amazing athletes, we consider ourselves very blessed to be on the podium.”

Like Efimova & Mitrofanov and McBeath & Parkman, Kam & O’Shea have only been together for a relatively short period of time, as their first season competing together was back in 2022.

Chock and Bates Score Sixth U.S. Title With Stunning Jazz-Themed Free Dance

Madison Chock & Evan Bates, the powerhouse American dance duo who are the 2023 and 2024 World champions and five-time U.S. titlists, reigned supreme in the dance event at the U.S. Championships in Wichita on Saturday, claiming their sixth U.S. title with a 223.52 total, outdistancing the remainder of the 15-team roster by more than 13 points.

Notably, Chock & Bates were awarded a 131.36 for their compelling interpretation of the iconic jazz classic ‘Take Five’ by Dave Brubeck in which they executed their elements with command, flow and expertise.

The duo, who train in Montreal with Marie France-Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer, were awarded high grade of execution marks for such elements as their stunning rotational lift, choreographed twizzles and intricate footwork sequences, among other things.

For Chock & Bates, skating at the U.S Championships is always an experience that means a great deal to them.

“It honestly means the world to us. The U.S. Championships are always an event that we grew up coming to every January and watching every year on television as kids,” said Bates. “It’s really what made us fall in love with the sport. There’s something incredibly magical about this event and we hold it in very high regard.”  

Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko, the 2024 U.S. silver medalists and 2023 U.S. bronze medalists, clinched their second consecutive U.S. silver medal in this discipline for their engaging free dance to ‘Carmen’ for which they earned a 127.93 and 210.79 total.

Covering the ice with tremendous command, posture and grace, Carreira and Ponomarenko reeled off a stunning straight-line lift, beautifully extended twizzles, an artful rotational lift and high-tech step sequences featuring well-executed turns and steps, among other things.

Donned in dramatic red and black costumes, Carreira and Ponomarenko told the fascinating, yet tragic story of Carmen with their skating, efforts that resonated big with the audience, something that also meant a great deal to both of them.

“It’s a really special event and it’s always fun to skate at home,” said Ponomarenko. “This dance field is so strong and we’re really proud to be on the podium and to be part of the competition.”

The two also elaborated on their intensive work in regard developing to their Carmen program.

“We had a huge training block of six to seven weeks where we did a lot of enhancements and really worked on the potential we believe it has,” said Ponomarenko, who, along with Carreira, train in London, Ontario with Scott Moir and Madison Hubbell. “So we’re still working in the right direction and I think we took a huge step today. We just have to keep working hard filling in the little nuances and skating to the best of our ability.”

Rachel Green & Michael Parsons, the 2022 Four Continents champions and four-time U.S. medalists, clinched bronze in this event, scoring a 123.24 in the free dance for a 205.37 total.

This powerhouse team, who train in Canton, Michigan with Charlie White, Tanith White and Greg Zuerlein, racked up high scores, stepped up from fourth in the Rhythm Dance to third due to their memorable performance to ‘Spiegel im Spiegel’ by Arvo Part as performed by Angele Dubeau and La Pieta and ‘Dance Me to the End of Love’ by Douglas Dare.

Their outcome at this main event represented a significant step for this team, to say the least, who had finished fourth at the 2024 NHK Trophy and sixth at the 2024 Cup of China last fall.

“This National Championship is the culmination of a huge amount of work that Caroline and I and our entire team have put in,” said Parsons. “This is just confirmation that the work that we put in and the dedication that we have to ourselves and to each other is paying off. We couldn’t be happier. We’re just taking it all in and we’re so thankful.”

Malinin Takes Commanding Lead in Men’s Short Program

In characteristic style, Ilia Malininm, the 2024 World champion and 2023 and 2024 U.S. titlist, skated a magnificent short program in the men’s competition that featured two quads as well as a triple Axel to earn a 114.08 and catapult him right to the top of the 18-entry men’s field by more than 14 points.

Right from the start, Malinin, 19, hooked the crowd at the InTrust Bank Arena in Wichita with his riveting performance that was highlighted by soaring quad flip, triple Axel, quad Lutz-triple toe, high-octane footwork featuring his signature Raspberry move and a high-energy connecting steps.

“I felt really good with my skate today,” said Malinin, who also received a huge standing ovation from the crowd. “I felt like I was able to express myself and perform to my maximum capability.”

Andrew Torgashev, the 2023 U.S. bronze medalist, scored the second-best marks of the competition, a 94.94, for his exceptional interpretation of ‘L’Enfer’ by Stromae that was defined by power, musicality and energy and featured a high-octane quad toe, rock-solid triple Axel and nice triple flip-triple toe.

For Torgashev, 23, who trains in Irvine, California with Rafael Arutyunyan, it was all about doing his best.

“I’m really happy with my performance and how good my skate was today,” said Torgashev. “I would like to continue training, continue skating at this level and continue improving.”

Jimmy Ma, the dynamic 29-year old who hails from Great Neck, New York and has competed at 11 U.S. Championships to date with his highest finish having been fifth in 2023, clinched third with a 91.91 score for his stellar performance to ‘Mexican Phonk’ by Nueki and Tolchonov that was a big hit with the crowd.

Ma executed such notable elements as a huge quad toe, triple Axel and triple Lutz-triple toe with great strength, power and command as well as exciting spins and edge-of-your-seat footwork, all of which he enjoyed doing, especially in front of such a lively audience.

“I had a lot of fun with it,” said Ma about, who trains in Norwood with Alexei Letov and Olga Ganicheva. “The legs were listening, my mind was clear and I’m just glad people had fun with it.”

Ma also acknowledged the skills and accomplishments of his peers at this competition as well as those at events he has been in over the last number of years.

“It’s an honor just to be able to skate and compete and be friends with people who are great in their own way,” said Ma. “They inspire me to try and push my whole body to its limits and try to also offer something that’s unique unto myself.”

For these skaters, as with so many at all levels, everything ultimately comes down to the day to day training and trusting that process in competition and other showcase events.

“I think it comes down to training,” said Torgashev. “You know, it’s the everyday training and grinding away at it, being very smart and consistent in the approach to everyday training.”

Glenn Garners Solid Win in Women’s Showdown to Take Second Consecutive U.S. Title

Amber Glenn, the 2024 U.S. titlist and 2024-2025 ISU Grand Prix Final champion, triumphantly skated away with top honors in the U.S. Championship women’s free skate, claiming her second consecutive U.S. title in golden style.

Earning the highest marks of the event, a 145.88 for a 216.79, Glenn’s program to ‘I Will Find You’ by AudioMachine and ‘The Return’ by Clann was stellar, with its main highlight being her signature showstopping move, a huge triple Axel. 

Catapulting to first, from third in the short, Glenn landed all but one of her jumps, and cleanly executed her spins, footwork and connecting steps with notable attack, power, command and strength while at the same time expressing the intrigue and emotion of the music in optimal fashion.

“Today I tried to attack everything I could,” said Glenn, who trains with Damon Allen and Tammy Gambill in Colorado Springs. “I’m very proud of my mental fortitude and the progress I’ve made and I hope to continue with the consistency throughout the rest of the season.”

Alysa Liu, the 2019 and 2020 U.S. champion who had catapulted to first place in the short program among the deep 18-entry field in exhilarating fashion the day prior to make for a stunning comeback following a two-year academic hiatus, clinched silver with a 138.97 free skate score to render a 215.33 total.

In the final tally, Liu’s marks also put her in close proximity of Glenn, as her total score was approximately one and a half points short of that total score.

For Liu, however, it was all about getting out there and skating.

“This just feels really crazy to me,” said Liu, who trains with Philip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali in Lakewood, California. “I didn’t really have any expectations for myself placement wise, just program wise, so I felt really good throughout this experience.”

Liu, who had only again taken up skating last summer, emerged as a major comeback story of this competition due to her flawless short program in the initial round of this event and then her electric free skate to Donna Summer’s ‘MacArthur Park’ which was as big a hit with the audience as it was with the nine-member official panel.

In this edge-of-your-seat program, Liu executed all of her triples with power, quickness and confidence, all the while interpreting Summer’s celebrated 70s disco anthem with infectious spirit, understanding and enthusiasm.

Sarah Everhardt, the fourth-place finisher at last year’s Nationals who is reputed to be one of the sport’s most exciting up-and-coming stars, claimed the bronze medal with her action-packed program to Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird.’

Earning a 136.64 and 207.36 total, Everhardt executed high-powered triple jumps that were defined by excellent height, air position and beautifully held landings as well as high-voltage spins and other notable things.

“It’s amazing to be on the podium [with Amber and Alysa] and to see that I’ve made it to this level,” said Everhardt, who is from Haymarket, Virginia and trains with with Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov in Reston, Virginia. “It’s an amazing feeling.”

For all these talented and driven athletes, the real victory was just as much about the power of the group dynamic as it was about in terms of just doing their best, something that was more than apparent when they were all seen walking into the press conference together after the awards ceremony chatting, smiling and having fun together.

“I’m just really grateful to be on a podium with these two lovely ladies and I can’t wait to go to new events with them,” said Glenn. “I was just so proud of this group of women seeing the camaraderie backstage and seeing the supportiveness.”

Another leader of this elite group, Bradie Tennell, the two-time U.S. champion from Cary, Illinois who had placed second in the short, was fourth with a free skate score of 128.71 and 199.94 total.

Skating to Puccini’s ‘Turandot’ and ‘Nessun Dorma’ as performed respectively by Vanessa Mae and Jackie Evancho, Tennell reeled off her signature textbook-like triple jumps, spins and footwork in solid fashion, although she had stepped out on a few of her jump landings.

Tennell trains with Benoit Richard and Jeremy Allen in the New York metropolitan area.

Along with the memorable performances of all the top contenders, it was ultimately the stellar skating quality of the entire women’s field that emerged as the major takeaway of this event as it reflected the renowned gold-star standard of American figure skating in a clear manner, something that all of those on hand at the InTrust Bank Arena appeared to very much honor, uphold and appreciate.

Chock and Bates Take Resounding Lead in the Rhythm Dance

Madison Chock & Evan Bates, the 2023 and 2024 World Champions, 2022 Olympic team gold medalists and five-time U.S. titlists, soared to first in the Championship rhythm dance competition in triumphant fashion, taking a more than a 10-point among the 15-entry roster with a 92.16 due to their arresting rendition to a medley number-one American hits dating from the 1950s through the 1970s.

Chock, who wore a stunning red dress and Bates, who donned a grey suit with a white shirt and tie, once again, showed up for the proverbial party, racking up big marks for their mesmerizing horizontal cartwheel lift, terrific twizzle sequence and smooth and easy step sequence, among other notable things.

For this uber-accomplished American team, regarded to be some of the most iconic skaters in modern-day skating and who famously married in Hawaii last summer, it’s all about continuously raising the bar.

“We’re really big on self improvement and just trying to find every little iota of improvement that we can find within ourselves,” said Bates in a media press conference last August at the annual U.S. Figure Skating Champs Camp at the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood. “We feel the programs are fresh for us, which is something we really value a lot.”

Chock & Bates train with Marie France-Dubrieul, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer in Montreal, where they also reside.

Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarkenko, the 2024 U.S. silver medalists and 2023 U.S. bronze medalists, clinched second with their emotionally charged program to music by Etta James and Little Richard, for which they were awarded an 82.86.

The duo, who train with Scott Moir, Madison Hubbell and Adrian Diaz in Canada, wowed onlookers with their stellar rotational lift, innovative choreographic rhythm sequence, intricate midline step sequence, engaging Paso Doble pattern step sequence and other outstanding elements.

“We feel pretty good about our skate today,” said Carreira. “I felt kind of cautious about it, but we’re still happy with the outcome and I think it was a good performance.”

Ponomarkenko agreed.

“We trusted our training and trusted each other and made it through,” said Ponomarenko. “We’re looking to have a better skate overall in the free with confidence.”

Moreover, the duo covered the ice in silk-like fashion, flowing over it with energy, quickness and speed, while at the same time, demonstrating amazing body lean and command of their skating.

For Carreira & Ponomarenko, the goal in this portion of the competition was to just do their best.

“This is a very complex program that is very high energy, so we’ve worked on making sure we’re matching our arms and refining the little moments that make the overall program look very nice and clean,” said Ponomarenko.

Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik, the 2023 U.S. National fourth-place finishers, claimed third with their dynamic disco-infused short dance to a Bee Gees medley featuring the iconic 70s hits, ‘Jive Talkin,’ ‘Staying Alive’ and ‘Night Fever’ for which they earned generated an 82.13.

Donned in purple sequin, gold and black costumes, the duo, who trains in Novi, Michigan, did such notable elements as a lightning-like rotational lift, high-powered midline step sequence and lively choreographic sequence in which the crowd clapped in tandem with each one of their steps and movements.

“I think we’re pretty happy with our performance today,” said Zingas. “This season has been a season of growth and a lot of learning for us again so we’re happy to be here and worked really hard in the time that we had since our last competition. I think that showed, as well as how much we enjoyed this program and this dance style.”

Kolesnik concurred.

“I enjoyed every second of it, the crowd was crazy, we went crazy and I was happy with everything,” said Kolesnik.

The team, who only have been skating together since 2022, are coached by Igor Shpilband, Natalia Deller, Adrienne Lenda and Pasquale Camerlengo.

In this event, Zingas & Kolesnik tied in total segment points with Caroline Green & Michael Parsons, who also had scored an 82.13, eeking out third by roughly two-tenths of a point tiebreaker based on the technical element scores.

Alysa Liu Soars to Top of Leaderboard in Women’s Short Program With Stellar Comeback Performance

Alysa Liu, the 2019 and 2020 U.S. champion, made an indelible mark in the women’s short program competition at the U.S. Championships Thursday night, earning the highest marks, a 76.36, among the field of 18 entries, to in turn position herself for a third consecutive National senior title.

Liu’s electric performance to the stirring piece, ‘Promise’ by Laufey and Dan Wilson, was lyrical, high energy and compelling and featured such notable highlights as a triple flip-triple toe, triple Lutz, double Axel, high-velocity spins and fluid footwork defined by big curves and body movements.

At the conclusion of this performance, Liu received a loud standing ovation from the crowd, something that was especially poignant considering she has been absent from the competitive circuit since 2022 upon having decided to attend college full time at the University of California in Los Angeles at that point.

“I was really excited to present my short program on this big stage,” said Liu, who also lives in Richmond, California and trains with Philip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali in Lakewood. “Nationals is such a big competition and I was just anticipating doing my best short program here. I was emotional from the very beginning to the end and I really loved that and I felt very connected to the ice.”

Bradie Tennell, the 2021 and 2018 U.S. champion from Cary, Illinois, scored the second-biggest marks of this competition, a 71.23, for her dramatic presentation of Ronan Hardiman’s ‘Cry of the Celts’ and ‘Lord of the Dance’ which also had a big effect upon the high-energy Wichita crowd, who gave her a loud ovation upon its conclusion.

In her characteristic style, Tennell reeled off her elements with terrific ease, power and tenacity, with highlights being a lightning-quick triple Lutz-triple toe, triple loop, double Axel, high-velocity spins and fluid footwork, among other things.

“It was really exciting for me to do this program because it’s come along way since the beginning of the season and I have such joy when I perform it,” said Tennell, who is coached by Benoit Richard and Jeremy Allen in the New York City metropolitan area. “It’s a very energetic and fun program and it’s different from the things I’ve done before, so it’s very fun for me to skate and especially in front of a crowd, so I was excited to give a good performance tonight.”

Tennell was also happy about the prospect of being back competing at this celebrated event after having missed it last year due to an ankle injury.

“I was very excited to skate here again after missing last year,” said Tennell. “I was just kind of feeling a lot of emotions today because last January, January 26^th of last year, was my second surgery for my ankle, so it’s not even been a full year yet and it’s just a little surreal to be back at Nationals and skating.”

Citing last year’s situation as an example of life’s many different, but ultimately tool-building experiences, Tennell has once again, valiantly positioned herself as one of the sport’s veritable leaders and is in close range of capturing another U.S. title at this event, which is exciting.

“I think every year, we all kind of evolve, change and grow as people,” said Tennell, when asked about being back in medal and title contention at Nationals in tandem with Liu by a reporter at the post-competition press conference. “We’ve both grown in different ways but I would say we’re both competitors and have a very healthy respect for each other and what we do and we’re both here because we love it.”

Tennell also elaborated on the importance of the love of skating and how, for her, it serves as a base power source in both the sport and in her life.

“I think we both connect on that aspect of the joy of skating,” said Tennell, upon being asked about her journey in the sport in relation to Liu at the post-event media conference. “That’s what makes competition fun, right?”

Amber Glenn, the reigning U.S. titlist and 2024-2025 ISU Grand Prix Final champion from Plano, Texas was third in the standings for her riveting interpretation of Janet Jackson’s ‘This Time,’ for which she was earned a score of 70.91.

Another major favorite with the Wichita crowd, Glenn flew around the ice with the speed, presence and strength of a premier world contender, knocking such stellar elements as a soaring triple flip-double toe, electric triple loop, high-octane spins and a fast, intricate footwork sequence, among other notable things.

Although she stood up her signature thrilling triple Axel, it was two footed with a q call, however, which did an effect on her technical score.

Still, Glenn’s program was exceptional as she told members of the media at the post-event press conference that she is looking forward to skating full out in the pending free skate event.

“I did not feel the attack or adrenaline going out there today,” said Glenn, who trains in Colorado Springs with Damon Allen and Tammy Gambill. “I do feel like I will be able to give that attack tomorrow in the free skate and not hold back as much as I did today. I want to try and go full out.”

Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea Dominate Pairs Short Competition

Kicking off this year’s U.S. Nationals in commanding style, Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, the reigning U.S. champions, prevailed in the pairs short program skating to a resounding lead with a 77.19 to catapult them to the top of the 12-entry leaderboard by nearly eight points.

Skating to the stirring ‘Rain in Your Black Eyes’ by Ezio Bosso, the duo, who trains in Colorado Springs with Drew Meekins, Bruno Marcotte and Sandy Straub, executed a split triple twist, side-by-side triple Salchows, a throw triple loop and stunning level four lift in which they covered the entire rink length with ease, fluidity and mastery, among other memorable things.

The team, who were 2024 ISU Grand Prix finalists, also commanded the ice from the moment they took their starting position all the way to the conclusion of their performance and earned big applause from the lively Wichita InTrust Bank Arena audience.

For Kam and O’Shea, it was a moment to remember.

“We did a program we’re proud of today and we were proud to go out there,” said O’Shea.

His partner agreed.

“I think we’ve made our skating more focused and narrowing down our thoughts in our production, we’re more together so that we just become more one instead of just Ellie and Danny,” said Kam.

Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, the 2023 U.S. silver medalists who train with Alexei Letov in Boston, earned the second-highest marks of the competition, a 69.10, for their breathtaking performance to Ed Sheeran’s ‘Give Me Love.’

Flying around the ice with the stealth and speed of world-class contenders, Chan and Howe earned big marks from the nine-member judging panel for their split triple twist, throw triple flip, amazing level four lift and intriguing death spiral, as well as other elements.

For the duo, it just was all about doing their job.

“We’re really happy with our training and wanted to give everything that we had out there,” said Chan. “We felt that in terms of energy there were some things we could definitely do better but overall, we’re really happy with our presentation today.”

Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, the 2024 U.S. silver medalists, racked up the third-best scores of this competition, a 69.03, for their electric performance to ‘Ameska’ and ‘Uccen’  by the Taalbi Brothers, putting them just seventh-tenths of a point behind Chan and Howe, to set an exciting stage up for the free skate showdown.

Although they had a slight misstep on their side-by-side triple toes, this dynamic team scored stellar marks for their split triple twist, throw triple loop, level four lift, step sequence and combination spins, along with other things.

According to Efimova and Mitrofanov, who train in Boston with Olga Ganicheva and Alexei Letov, they were happy with their performance.

“Overall we’re really happy with our presentation today,” said Mitrofanov. “We were really working on our emotions, not just in terms of technical and we were able to go out there and show that.”

JUNIORS

by Lynn Rutherford

Von Felton Makes a Bit of History While Winning Junior Women Gold

Mired in seventh place after falling on her triple axel, triple toe loop combination in Wednesday’s short program, Sophie Joline von Felton had little to lose in her free skate. She would go for all of it: a quadruple salchow, and two triple axels.

“I love making history,” the 16-year-old, who trains at Skating Club of Boston, said.

Some three-and-a-half minutes later, she had done just that, becoming the first U.S. woman to land a quad salchow in competition.

“I feel amazing, because I trained hard for it,” she said. “I skated (the program) with the axels, and without axels, many times. At first, it didn’t work out. Then, it got better and better. I started skating clean programs. I’m so happy my hard work paid off.”

Stepping on to the ice as the final skater in the penultimate group, Von Felton trailed short program leader Skylar Lautowa-Peguero by nearly seven points. She made up ground with the first three elements in her Romeo & Juliet free: a triple axel, quad salchow and triple axel, double toe loop combination.

The opening salvo added some 30.08 points to her score, including three bonus points, and she went on to land five other triples, including a triple flip, triple toe loop combination in the program’s second half. She won the free skate with 131.82 and amassed a total score of 188.84 points, just 0.84 more than Lautowa-Peguero.

The technical panel added a “q” to the quad, meaning they thought it might be exactly a quarter-turn short. A “q,” though, does not lessen the jump’s 9.70 base value.

“No (U.S. woman) had ever landed a quad salchow at nationals or ever,” Von Felton said. “It’s okay it had a q, but the next time hopefully it works out clean.”

Under coaches Alexey Letov and Olga Ganicheva, the Swiss-born skater has made history before. Last year, she became the first woman to land a triple axel at the U.S. Championships in the junior event.

Early this season, Von Felton was hampered by inconsistency. She won gold at a Junior Grand Prix in Slovenia, but as a last-minute addition to a second Junior Grand Prix in China, she placed 13^th. All this changed as she prepared for Wichita.

“Actually, the last week (before the U.S. Championships) I skated only clean programs,” she said. “So I was a little shocked not to be able to do that in the short here.”

Lautowa-Peguero, too, had a superb free skate. Performing to “Inspiration” by Florian Christl, the petite 12-year-old showed seven precise, clean triple jumps, several done with both arms overhead, including a triple loop, double axel, double axel sequence.

The youngster was one of the most well-balanced skaters in the event, achieving Level 4 for all three of her spins and impressing judges with her choreo sequence. Her program component score of 53.59 led the field, and she placed second in the free with 124.06 and second overall with 188.

“I feel so good that I actually put two programs together and they were strong,” Lautowa-Peguero said. “I had a rocky season before this competition. I went through some things that I never went throughbefore. (At one competition) I popped three times in my long and stepped out of my combo in the short. I was feeling down. The next competition I got back up, but (next time) I did the same thing; I popped three times in the long and stepped out of combo in short.”

Lautowa-Peguero, who splits her training time between Hackensack, New Jersey and Newburgh, New York, buckled down with coaches Larisa Selezneva and Patch David, as well as mom Julia Lautowa, a six-time Austrian champion, with an eye on making her mark in Wichita.

“I worked really hard before this competition,” she said. “I started doing a lot more run-throughs, and I felt better about myself. All of my hard work paid off – I skated two clean programs at nationals, and I feel excited to keep going and have more opportunities in the future.”

Jessica Jurka, fifth after the short program, performed a charming, creative free skate choreographed by Stephanie Chace Bass to “Three Card Switch” from the Good Omens album by David Arnold. With seven triple jumps, including three in combination, it scored 176.23 points and lifted her to third place and the bronze medal with 117.74 total.

“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs this season, and I’d definitely have to say that this is an up program for me,” Jurka said. “I gave all I could today.”

The 15-year-old, who trains with Stephanie Kuban in Colorado Springs, Colorado, paid special attention to the details: refined hand and arm movements, positions in spins and a high split jump. Her triples were high, and she held her landings.

“That’s one of the things I like most about my skating,” she said. “My jumps are flowy and soft. It’s not an athletic type of program, but more like beauty and grace in it. I worked very hard to get it like that.”

Born in Lima, Peru, Jurka is a 2023 recipient of the Mabel Fairbanks Skatingly Yours Fund Promising Award of $10,000. She is an ambassador for young skaters in Ecuador, where she has taught youngsters the value of working hard to achieve your goals.

Emilia Nemirovsky, second after the short, claimed the pewter medal with 175.30 points. Her free skate, choreographed by Zuzanna Parchem to selections by Eternal Eclipse and Nicholas Britell earned 112.41 points and included four triple jumps and two Level 4 spins.

“I think it was OK,” the Detroit-based skater said. “I kind of lost in the second half but I was determined, so that’s all that matters.”

Like Jurka, Nemirovsky’s jumps were high, effortless and softly landed. The 15-year-old attributes this not only to skating coaches Julie Berlin, Parchem and Garrett Lucash, but to Ken Kashubara, head coach of the Sport Heaven Track Club.

“When I was younger, I did track and gymnastics, so I built a lot of muscle,” said Nemirovsky, whose favorite track events are the 100 meter and 200-meter sprints. “I think that definitely helped to get the power in the jumps I landed today.”

Junior Man Lorenzo Elano Wins First U.S. Medal, and It's Gold

Consistency won the day for Lorenzo Elano, who placed second in both the short program and free skate to earn 202.65 points and win the junior men’s crown in Wichita, Kansas on Wednesday.

“It wasn’t my best performance, I’ve done way better in practice,” an ebullient Elano said after his free skate, set to a Philip Glass medley including “Mad Rush” and “The Hours.”

“Honestly, coming off of the ice, I wasn’t sure about how my score was going to be,” he added. “I’m really happy with my first national medal.”

The 17-year-old from Chicago arrived at the U.S. Championships a bit under the radar, never having competed at a Junior Grand Prix. He did win a silver medal at a junior “B” event in Nice, France in October – his first-ever international event -- followed by gold at the Midwestern Sectionals in November. 

Elano’s confidence was momentarily shaken when, after opening with a strong triple lutz, triple toe loop combination, he fell on his second jump, a triple flip. He recovered with a triple loop and second triple lutz combination in the program’s second half, and gained the event’s highest PCS marks, 69.45.

“I’m glad I kept going, because I had a pretty rough start,” he said. “I kept doing what I do best. I’m really glad that I didn’t leave as many points as I could have on the table.”

The skater partly credits his music with helping him overcome the miscue. Glass, the influential minimalist composer and pianist, was also a favorite of 2022 Olympic champion Nathan Chen, who performed his free skate to a Glass medley during the 2020-2021 season.

“My coaches (Jeremy Allen and Denise Myers) brought it up to me, and Tommy Steenberg choreographed it,” he said. “I felt like I connected with it really well. It helped me get through some of the rough spots in the program.”

Third after the short, Aleksandr Fegan won the free skate and the silver medal with a speedy and near-clean rendition of Igor Stravinsky’s “Firebird,” highlighted by some fine spins. He notched 131.35 in the free and 201.64 overall.

“I thought it was pretty decent,” the 15-year-old from Little Falls, New Jersey, who trains in Hackensack under Roman Serov, said.

“I was pretty happy with myself, because five minutes before I went on the ice, my leg started to hurt really bad, and I wasn’t sure I could compete. And I’m just happy I was able to skate as well as I did today.”

Fegan, also the 2024 U.S. junior bronze medalist, is only the latest in a long list of U.S. medalists who have chosen to perform to music from the Russian ballet.

“I thought it fit me well, so I decided to test my abilities on it,” he said.

The fast-paced selection served to highlight Fegan’s spinning ability, among the best of the event.

“I’m always (working on) spinning,” he said. “For me, I like spins, and I like to focus on getting Level 4’s and having them well executed.”

Patrick Blackwell, who led by more than six points after Tuesday’s short program, fell four times in the free, including a tumble on his opening quad toe. Still, the Boston-based skater landed two triple axels and maintained his vigor throughout his performance to Gabriel Saban’s “Smoke and Mirrors,” choreographed by Adam Blake. It gave him the bronze medal with 195.77 points.

“I chose (this music) because I like to categorize myself as a very enthusiastic, open, super-aggressive person, energy-wise,” he said. “I wanted something very energetic to show that, rather than polish. While I'm working on adding polish, energy is my strong suit right now.”

His 118.04-point free skate here did not approach Blackwell’s personal best at the Czech Junior Grand Prix early this season, where he landed his quad toe and gained 152.14 points.  Several injuries, including a recent broken thumb, impacted his preparation for the U.S. Championships.

“I think I had higher expectations of myself, just because of how I came away from my Junior Grand Prix,” he said. “Pressure wise, I think (the pressure at nationals) is about the same. Mainly for me, I had (put) more pressure on myself …. But the main takeaway was the experience of doing my first nationals, ever. I still find it a valuable lesson, even though I had my struggles.”

Fifth after the short, New Jersey skater Kirk Haugeto skated a creative and ambitious program set to music from the 1981 Christopher Bruce ballet “Ghost Dances” that gained third place in the free skate with 121.86 points. His 184.29 total earned him the pewter medal. 

The evocative selections, most famously performed by ice dancers Isabelle Duchesnay and Paul Duchesnay in the early 1990’s, inspired the young skater.

“I love the ballet, it’s a very good story,” the 15-year-old said. “The story is like you’re coming back, and no matter what people drive you to -- no matter how far people put you down -- you can rise up and show greatness.”

Haugeto attempted a triple axel early in his program but fell. He did it, and the other six triple jumps in program, with both arms overhead, ala 2016 U.S. champion Adam Rippon.

“I do all of my jumps that way,” he said. “I kind of like it. It’s fun.”

Skylar Lautowa-Peguero Takes Junior Women Short Program

Patrick Blackwell First in Junior Men's Short Program

Reagan Moss & Jakub Galbavy Lead in Junior Pairs Short Program

PREVIEWS

by Liz Leamy

Ilia Malinin Looking to Make Another Lasting Mark in Wichita

(19 January 2025) Ilia Malinin, the illustrious 2024 World champion and 2023 and 2024 U.S. gold medalist, is geared up and ready to make another lasting mark in Wichita at the U.S. Championships that will be held at the InTrust Bank Arena January 20^th-26^th.

The 20 year-old skating sensation, who lives in Vienna, Virginia and trains in nearby Reston, Virginia with his parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, both of who were Olympic and World singles contenders in the 1990s, as well as Raphael Arutyunyan is amped to continue his remarkable skating journey at this celebrated annual sports event next week.

Malinin, who, last December, captured his second consecutive ISU Grand Prix Final title in Grenoble, France after having claimed the same coveted finish in 2023, has been on a golden mission in regard to building his skills and artistry at an astonishing level, having famously executed all seven quads, at this most recent celebrated global event.

“I’m trying to create this whole new entertainment for people watching the sport. I think that’s one of my main things,” said Malinin in a pre-Nationals media teleconference. “It’s emotional to me just knowing that [several years] back, I was technically just a jumper, but now I feel like a lot of people, more and more, are starting to appreciate what I can bring in terms of artistry and creativity. I think that all the work that I put in for all those years is what I’m just proud of.”

This season, Malinin has earned big props all around in noting the high scores he has racked up for artistry as well as for his renowned technicality in competitions this season so far, with him skating to ‘Running’ by NF for his short program and ‘I’m Not a Vampire’ by Falling in Reverse for his long program, both which are pieces designed by Shae Lynn Bourne, the 2003 Canadian World dance champion with Victor Kraatz.

“It was a really fun time this year, especially just having both pieces of music which are different from what I’d usually pick,” said Malinin.

Meanwhile, Malinin described his short program music as something very meaningful to him.

“It was the song I’ve been listening to for over three years now on repeat, so it’s just something that I wanted to try and fit my own emotions into the piece,” said Malinin.

Malinin then went on to say how his free program is something he feels as very interesting and was also one that he very much enjoyed learning in tandem with Bourne.

“She’s one of the best, so she was able to put a really good long program together,” said Malinin. “I think it’s one of my favorite long programs I’ve ever done with her. I’m able to put all my emotions into it and really just feel like myself when I’m doing that program.”

Malinin also elaborated about the beauty of skating, likening it to an art.

“In my opinion, I think it is an art,” said Malinin. “Everyone has their own way of viewing art and there’s always different artists and people who have their own vision of a ‘perfect’ image of a painting, and so everyone has their own unique style of skating.”

As he gets ready to skate in Wichita next week, Malinin also expressed excitement at the prospect of competing in such an iconic American destination.

“I’m really excited to go to Wichita. I hear that it’s the original place for Pizza Hut [too]. I’m really looking forward to seeing that and I think it’s going to be a fun time,” said Malinin. “It’s really fun to travel to all the different places, see new states, meet new people and see how much they enjoy figure skating.”

Amber Glenn Excited to Compete at Nationals

(19 January 2025) Amber Glenn, the reigning U.S. champion and 2024 ISU Grand Prix Final gold medalist who has been on a remarkable trajectory in the domestic and global skating realm over the past several years, is as amped as ever to compete at the 2025 U.S. Championships in Wichita.

Citing this main annual event, regarded to be one of the most highly anticipated showdowns of the sports world every year, as one she is very much looking forward to, Glenn seems optimally poised and prepared to indeed clinch a second consecutive U.S. title, especially based on her results this past season.

This past fall, Glenn, known for her incredible energy and stunning jumping acumen (as she is one of the only women in the world able to execute a clean and rock-solid triple Axel) dominated the ISU Championship Grand Prix circuit, scoring first at the Grand Prix de France and Cup of China that were held in November prior to clinching the Grand Prix Final crown in Grenoble, France last December in which she outdistanced a formidable field of premier world skaters, including Kaori Sakamoto, the three-time Japanese World champion in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and 2022 Olympic bronze medalist.

Last January, Glenn, who grew up in Plano, Texas and trains in Colorado Springs with Damon Allen and Tammy Gambill, triumphantly claimed her first U.S. title in Columbus, Ohio in valiant style, catapulting to the top of the formidable American women’s field with technically loaded back-to-back short and long programs, among other things.

Glenn, 25, who is also the 2021 U.S. silver medalist and 2023 U.S. bronze medalist, is excited to continue her exhilarating journey as she prepares to compete at the U.S. Championships next week, which will be held January 20^th through the 26th at the INTRUST Bank Arena in downtown Wichita.

“I am feeling very excited. This is my ninth senior U.S. Championships and I’m going as the top lady which is a position I’m very fortunate to be in,” said Glenn in a pre-Nationals media teleconference last week. “I want to have a good time and see everyone.”

Glenn also expressed excitement at the prospect of competing amongst a roster of so many exceptional skaters, which also includes two other U.S. champions, Alysa Liu, the 2019 and 2020 U.S. champion and Bradie Tennell, the 2018 and 2021 U.S. titlist as well as the many other talented and accomplished contenders who will be there.

“These [skaters] have accomplished great things and then we also have these newcomers who are doing great,” said Glenn.

Glenn, who will skating to Janet Jackson’s high-octane ‘This Time’ for her short and to Audiomachine’s moving ‘I Will Find You’ and ‘The Return’ by Clann for her free skate, also talked about her mindset this past season and how she had garnered such great strength from her years of experience leading up to this juncture in her life.

“As I came into my own, I really did some reflection on who I am. Along with that came [the realization of] deciding to skate and how I wanted to skate not for the scores, but for myself,” said Glenn. “I would really say I came into my own in the last couple of years and luckily I had a lot of good resources and a lot of good tools. I asked for help, so I was able to get here and I’m now doing what I never thought I’d be doing.”

As Glenn continues her remarkable journey, she expressed her gratitude in terms of being part of this event to help further build exposure and excitement about the sport, saying that when she first started, she had been very much inspired when the U.S. Championships had been held near her home in Dallas, Texas, in 2003.

“That’s when we started getting into skating and it snowballed,” said Glenn. “I think the National Championships could do the same thing in Wichita by having people come out and experience figure skating.”