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The Big Picture

Amber Glenn, 2024 U.S. Nationals



ISU Championship Allotments for 2023/24 and Later

Season 2023/24 Figure Skating

    Jan 22 - Jan 28, 2024 - ISU European Figure Skating Championships, Budapest, HUN

    Jan 29 - Feb 04, 2024 - ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Shanghai, CHN

    Feb 26 - Mar 03, 2024 - ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships, Taipei City, TPE

    Mar 18 - Mar 24, 2024 - ISU World Figure Skating Championships, Montréal, CAN

Season 2024/25 Figure Skating

    December 5 - 8, 2024 - ISU Grand Prix Final, Orleans, FRA

    January 20 - 26, 2025 - ISU European Figure Skating Championships, Zagreb, CRO

    Feb 04 - Feb 09, 2025 - ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Seoul, KOR

    February 24 - March 2, 2025 - ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships, Debrecen, HUN

    March 24 - 30, 2025 - ISU World Figure Skating Championships, Boston, MA, USA

    April 4 - 5, 2025 - ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships, Tampere, FIN

Season 2025/26 Figure Skating

    January 12 - 18, 2026 - ISU European Figure Skating Championships, Sheffield GBR

    January 19 - 24, 2026 - ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Beijing, CHN

    March 02 - 08, 2026 - ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships, Tallin, EST

    ISU March 23 - 29, 2026 -World Figure Skating Championships, Prague, CZE

    April 10 - 11, 2026 - ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships, Salzburg, AUT


  In the News

Jason Brown Recipient of Button-Salchow Trophy

(January 31, 2024) Jason Brown was honored as the first public recipient of what will now be called the Button-Salchow trophy.  Previous private recipients of the trophy are Dick Button, John Misha Petkevich and Paul Wylie.

The first World Championships held after the end of World War II took place in 1947 in Stockholm, Sweden.  Five men competed, among them Dick Button.  It was a closely contested event, held on an outdoor artificial surface at the Olympic Stadium.  Button, however, almost did not get to compete.

As described by Skateguard Blogspot, "on the way to the event, the train Button and his coach Gustave Lussi were travelling on broke down. They jumped out into the snowbanks and hitchhiked their way to the arena. They arrived late and were initially told that Button was disqualified, but the mess was cleared up and he was allowed to compete."

The event started with the skating of twelve compulsory figures.

As described by Lyman E. Wakefield, Jr.  in Skating Magazine, 'It took most of one day beginning at ten in the morning with time out for lunch for the men to skate their figures. Judging was all on the open basis marking from 0 to 6. Judges were quick to make their decisions and all recordings were made in an enclosed movable little house which was nearby. The referee would blow his whistle for the numbers to be raised, and a bell on the recorder's house signaled completion of these recordings. The mechanics of handling these recordings were excellent. All figures were multiplied immediately by proper factors in a computing machine in the recorder's house and listed."  At the end of the figures, Hans Gerschwiler of Switzerland led by 35 points.

In the free skating, Button made up the point difference and more, winning the free skate, and scored more points overall than Gerschwiler.  But when the total points were ordinalized, Button came in second on a 3-2 split of the judges, although ahead by nearly three points.

Niagara Hall "25 Guinea Trophy" won by Ulrich Salchow in 1900

Cup detail

Left to Right: Paul George, John Misha Petkevich, Dick Button, Paul Wylie

In his book "Dick Button On Skates", Button wrote, "The fateful bell sounded again and it was announced that Hans had won. I was second. He had scored seven and I had eight in this placings. But there was more to it. The score was even closer. I had made up the deficit in points! I went beyond the Swiss by 352.86 to 350. But that didn't matter; it meant an E for effort, but Hans still won. He had a majority of first places in the votes of the judges - three to two - and that's what counted. Gerschwiler was ranked first by the Swiss, Czech and English judges, with me second. I won the Danish and United States votes, with Hans second on those cards."

Among those who thought Button should have won the title was Ulrich Salchow, at the time the grand old man of international figure skating, ten-times world champion, and former president of the ISU.  Salchow told him as such and invited Button to his home were he offered Button his choice of any of Salchow's trophies.  Button when telling this story would say that he chose to be modest in his choice and took one of the more modest trophies, a winning cup from an international competition in London from 1900.

Button held onto the trophy for 25 years, and in 1972 he privately gave the trophy to John Misha Petkevich, who Button felt had significantly impacted the development of skating, though never obtaining a World or Olympic title, telling him ”You should not retire from amateur skating without an international level trophy.

In 2010 the trophy was again privately passed on, with Petkevich giving the trophy to Paul Wylie, the 1992 Olympic silver medalist, who also is widely recognized to have significantly impacted the development skating, despite never becoming a US National, World or Olympic Champion (and who many think to this day was unfairly deprived of the Olympic Gold).

In 2019 Petkevich, Wylie and Paul George, the U.S. Figure Skating Foundation president,  decided to create a public facing Button-Salchow Trophy done with Button's blessing. Petkevich said, “I insisted that Dick’s name be added to it, because Dick’s the one who started the sequence of events that would lead to this unique trophy becoming the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy in football.” A selection committee has now been established within the United States Figure Skating Foundation to select future recipients of the trophy.  With the trophy to be awarded in each year of the Olympic Winter Games.

The first public recipient of the Button-Salchow trophy is Jason Brown, who was honored during the Exhibition Gala at the 2024 U.S. National Championships.  Brown, the 2015 U.S. National Champion, while consistently among the elite international competitors during his eleven seasons as a senior never has won a World or Olympic Singles title, but is recognized as having made an indelible mark on the artistic development of skating, and is widely revered for his dedication, integrity and enthusiasm as a competitor.

Trophy photos and group photo courtesy of U.S. Figure Skating.

Presentation photos copyright 2024 by George S Rossano.

The writer of the Skating Magazine article was the U.S. Judge at the competition, something that would never be allowed today!

Scoring then consisted of the figures getting a mark from 0 to 6, multiplied by a difficulty factor, and then the points added up.  The free skate was also marked from 0 to 6. Ordinals were determined from the total points from each judge.  The order of finish was determined by the sum of the ordinals, the lowest sum being first.  Majority principle and total factored place were not used at that time.

2024 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships

Columbus, OH

22-28 January, 2024

Photos copyright 2024 by George S Rosssano.

Malinin Claims Second U.S. Title

by Liz Leamy

(January 29, 2024)  Ilia Malinin, the 2023 World bronze medalist and 2023 U.S. Champion, scored his second consecutive U.S. title in Columbus with a firecracker free skate in which he executed a Quad Axel, the most difficult jump in skating, with command and ease, as well as several other quads, to rack up the highest total of the men’s event, a 294.35.

Finishing 30 points ahead of the 16 other top men’s American contenders, Malinin earned a 185.78 for this dramatic interpretation to the music from the hit HBO series, ‘Succession.’

Opening up with a lightning-quick quad Axel, Malinin went on to do a quad Lutz and quad Salchow, and other difficult jumps with strength, skill and aptitude.

He did, however, miss a quad Lutz and double a quad loop along with a planned quad toe.

Still, this program, for which Malinin was awarded a 95.10 for elements and a 91.68 for components, was superior, something that did not get lost with the Nationwide Arena crowd who cheered, clapped and whistled for him throughout its entirety.

“Even though it wasn’t what I wished for, it was a fun experience,” said Malinin, who is the 2022 U.S. silver medalist. “I enjoyed having the crowd with me every step.”

Malinin, meanwhile, said he is very much looking forward to competing at the World Championships in Montreal this March.

“I definitely noticed a lot of improvement of just looking at the audience, having that connection between my own program and the audience,” said Malinin, who is from Vienna, Virginia. “And adding those cleaner lines and making everything neater, that’s the next step going to Worlds.”

Jason Brown, the 2015 U.S. champion and two-time Olympian, claimed the silver medal with a 264.50 total.

Brown lit up the crowd at the Nationwide Arena with his moving free skate to ‘The Impossible Dream’ as sung by Josh Groban for which he was awarded a 175.48, helping him pull up from third in the short program to second overall.

The Highland Park, Illinois native knocked out two textbook triple Axels, one in sequence with a double Axel, along with a soaring triple Lutz-triple toe and triple flip, artful spins and high-energy footwork, among other elements to rack up an 83.07 for elements.

Meanwhile, he owned the competition in terms of components, earning a 92.41, the highest score for this element of the free skate due to his exceptional flow, edges, transitions and expression, among other things.

For Brown, it was all about having the opportunity to compete and skate for the audience.

“This was very special,” said Brown. “The crowd was awesome and energy helped that much more.”

Camden Pulkinen of Scottsdale, Arizona clinched bronze, pulling up from fifth in the short program due to his stellar free skate to music from ‘Tosca’ and ‘La Boheme’ by Giacomo Puccini for which he earned a 174.43 putting his total at 262.33.

Pulkinen, who graduates from Columbia University this year, wowed the crowd with his stunning arsenal of jumps that included a quad toe, triple Lutz-triple toe, two triple Axels, a triple loop, triple Lutz-double Axel sequence and triple flip that helped him earn the second-highest element score of the event, an 89.88. (Puliken, meanwhile, earned a 84.55 component score.)

Although he singled a planned triple Salchow in a triple Axel-half loop sequence, Pulkinen was performed in true star fashion, something that went over big with the Columbus crowd, who gave him a standing ovation.

Maxim Naumov of Norwood, Massachusetts, wound up fourth on the leaderboard with a 260.50 total.

Naumov, the 2022 U.S. junior champion who was second in the short program of this competition, had an excellent free skate to ‘Tosca’ by Giacomo Puccini for which he was awarded a 170.78.

In this free skate, he executed a quad Salchow, triple Axel-double Axel sequence, triple Lutz-triple toe, triple loop, triple Lutz-half loop-triple Salchow and triple flip to earn an 86.36 for elements. (He was awarded an 85.42 for components.)

Although he fell on a triple Axel and received an edge call on his triple flip, Naumov’s performance was superior, and, like that of the other top finishers, was a huge hit with the crowd.

Kam and O’Shea Score First U.S. Pair Title Together

by Liz Leamy

(January 28, 2024) Ellie Kam &  Danny O’Shea, the 2023 U.S. bronze medalists, scored their first U.S. title together, racking up a 187.76 total after pulling up from second in the short to first overall with their firecracker freeskate to the ‘Nocturnal Animals’ soundtrack for Abel Korzeniowski.

This poignant program, for which they earned a 123.19, the second highest marks in this segment of the event, was all about expression, style and stealth as it featured well-extended lifts, a big split triple twist and a fluid death spiral, among other impressive elements.

Skating with attack and speed, Kam and O’Shea, who had placed second in the short program to Emily Chan and Spencer Howe (who had withdrawn due to the fact that Howe was experiencing shoulder issues), resonated of a world-class standard, despite missing their throw triple loop and throw triple Salchow.

For their program, Kam and O’Shea earned a 62.71 technical score and 62.48 component score.

“It’s gratitude to be out here again in front of this amazing crowd,” said O’Shea. “It always feels good to stand on the podium. As they called our names for the ceremony, we wanted to soak up the moment-you never know when the next time you get an experience like this.”

Alisa Efimova &  Misha Mitrofanov clinched second in the final tally after having placed fifth in the short program with a nearly flawless program to ‘Iron 2021’ by Woodkid for which they were awarded a 126.43, the highest score for this portion of the event, for a 186.91 total.

Reeling off such elements as a big split triple twist, high throw triple loop, nice death spirals and graceful lifts, among other impressive things with incredible speed, skill and command, this team was awarded 65.79 for their elements and a 60.64 for their components.

“You never know what’s going to happen and we are grateful to end up where we are,” said Efimova and Mitrofanov.

Although they two-footed a throw triple Salchow, their skating standard was of a superior quality indicating they will be a force for many other teams to contend with on both the domestic and international fronts in years to come.

Valentina Plazas &  Maximilano Fernandez, skating to music from the ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ soundtrack and ‘Hold My Hand’ by Hans Zimmer for their free skate, shot up from fourth in the short to third overall, earning a segment score of 117.85 and 181.03 total.

All about power, strength and aptitude, Plazas and Fernandez did gorgeous lifts, a big throw triple loop, a soaring split triple twist and a compelling step sequence among other notable elements for which they earned solid marks.

“It’s a very humbling experience to be here with a medal,” said Plazas and Fernandez. “We’ve worked really hard to be here. It was really great to go out there and fight.”

For their elements, Plazas and Fernandez were awarded a 59.57 and a 58.28 for their components.

Chock and Bates Battle Flu and Their Competition for Fifth U.S. Dance Title

by Liz Leamy

(January 28, 2024)  Madison Chock & Evan Bates, the four-time U.S. champions and 2023 World gold medalists, clinched their fifth American title at the U.S. Championships this week, scoring a 215.92 total to put them nearly six points ahead of the 13-entry roster.

Skating their free dance to ‘Time,’ ‘Breathe’ and ‘Eclipse’ by Pink Floyd, Chock and Bates reeled off intricate lifts, complex footwork sequences and beautiful spins with ease, skill and command to earn a 123.75, the second-best scores of this segment of the competition.

Their lifts, in particular, were exceptional.

Moreover, this program seemed to have a powerful effect upon the crowd as many in the Nationwide Arena responded to their program with big cheers and applause.

“I think Evan and I have always had a lot of determination and willpower,” said Chock, who, along with Bates, had struggled with the flu all week. “We just tried our best today. If we can do this, we can do anything.”

Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko, the 2023 U.S. bronze medalists, clinched silver with a 210.04, maintaining their second-place finish after the Rhythm Dance, performing a fantastic free in which they interpreted the music from the ‘Perfume’ soundtrack and Audiomachine.

Earning the highest marks of the free dance, a 126.85, Carreira and Ponamarenko’s skating was all about deep edges, quick turns, smooth steps, fluid twizzles, graceful lifts and wonderful transitions.

Highlights of their program included their twizzle sequence and step sequence, which they did with flow, solid edges and terrific ease.

“We knew what we had to do when we went out on the ice,” said Carreira.

Ponomarenko agreed.

“We had a lot of time after the Grand Prix to focus and work on our programs,” he said. “We try to perform everyday like we did today.”

More than anything, the two expressed the narrative of their program, which was about love turning into obsession, in effective and resonating fashion, a storyline that went over big with Nationwide Arena crowd.

Emily Bratti & Ian Somerville, who were fifth at the 2023 U.S. Championships, wound up third on the leaderboard with a 196.94 total, earning 118.80 in the free dance.

Wearing dramatic red outfits, Bratti and Sommerville, who skated to ‘Ne Me Quitta Pas’ by Celine Dion, had a remarkable performance defined by incredible body lean, deep, solid and fluid edges, as well as power and expression.

“It was such an incredible experience,” said Emily Bratti. “I think coming into this competition, we didn’t know how it would play out. This was definitely a surprise for us.”

Sommerville, like Bratti, was excited about their performance.

“We love our programs this year and we’ve put in so much effort,” said Sommerville. “We were just able to focus and keep ourselves locked into each other.”

Glenn Clinches Her First U.S. Title

by Liz Leamy

(January 27, 2024) Amber Glenn, the 2021 U.S. silver medalist and 2023 U.S. bronze medalist, scored her first-ever U.S. Championship title in valiant style with an action-packed free skate in which she reeled off a huge triple Axel along with other memorable jumps and elements to earn the event’s highest total, a 210.46.

Earning the second-highest marks of the free skate, a 135.48, Glenn, a Plano, Texas native, earned plus-two, plus-three and plus-four grade of execution marks for the majority of her elements in her program to ‘Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 3’ by Muse, racking up a 65.28 technical score and 70.20 component score.

In the first half of her program, Glenn did a gorgeous triple Axel, designating her as one of only a few American women to ever accomplish this feat at a U.S. Championships, along with a triple flip-triple toe loop, triple loop-triple toe loop, triple Salchow and triple loop, but in its second half, she singled a planned triple flip and doubled a triple Lutz, which in turn, affected her scores a slight bit.

Still, Glenn’s skating was stellar and she flew through her spins, spirals and other moves and elements with great energy and aptitude.

For Glenn, this benchmark finish represented a personal win for her perhaps more than anything.

“It’s absolutely incredible to have this experience,” said Glenn. “This is such a huge success for me, but I also know I’m capable of much more.”

Glenn, who is coached by Damon Allen and Tammy Gambill in Colorado Springs, Colorado, further pontificated on being in this golden position.

“I think I’m just trying to figure out how to trust myself and not doubt my capabilities,” said Glenn. “I’m going to keep working.”

Josephine Lee, the 2022 U.S. junior bronze medalist, scored second with a 204.13 total due to her flawless free skate to ‘Poeta en el Mar’ by Vincente Amigo in which she executed her seven jump requirements with attack, command and energy, earning the highest marks of this segment of the competition, a 138.85.

Lee, who trains with Amy Evidente, Tammy Gambill and Ivan Dinev in Lakewood, California, wowed the crowd with her speed, skill and confidence, who gave her a rousing standing ovation when she finished her performance.

Lee, meanwhile, had the highest technical score of the event, a 74.59, and its third-highest component score, a 64.26.

“It’s such a surreal feeling and I’m just happy I’ve been able to show everybody what I was capable of,” said Lee, who was fifth in the short program before pulling up to second overall. “I just tried to stay present and grounded.”

Isabeau Levito, the 2023 U.S. champion, claimed bronze with a 200.68 total.

Having lead the 18-member contingent in the short program, Levito had a few falls, causing her to wind up fourth in this portion of the competition with a 125.30 and wind up third overall on the leaderboard.

Skating to ‘The White Crow’ by Lisa Batiashvili, Levito executed a triple flip, triple Lutz-half loop-triple Salchow and two double Axels but fell on a the landing of a triple Lutz-triple toe combination, triple loop and triple flip.

Still, Levito’s program was fluid and riveting and her graceful style of skating earned her solid marks while she was also a big hit with the Columbus crowd.

“It’s all a learning experience and it was really great to have the crowd cheering me on,” said Levito, who trains with Yulia Kuznetsova in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. “It was really heartwarming and I felt really loved. I think this is one of the best parts of the sport.”

Sarah Everhardt, who was 13th at the 2023 U.S. Championships in the junior event, finished fourth with a 193.37 total due to her third-place standing in the free skate in which she earned a score of 130.16.

Everhardt, who trains in Reston, Virginia with Tatyana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, Ilia Malinin’s parents who are both former Olympic singles competitors, pulled up from sixth in the free skate with clean and memorable program to ‘Four Seasons/Winter’ by Antonio Vivaldi for which she also earned a huge standing ovation.

Everhardt reeled off a huge double Axel-triple toe loop that covered almost the entire rink width, triple flip, triple Lutz, triple loop-double Axel sequence, triple loop, triple Lutz-double toe-double loop and triple Salchow with power, beauty and ease and in turn, was awarded a majority of plus-two and plus-three grade of execution marks from the judging panel.

For Everhardt, the biggest thing was the fact that she skated two clean programs at this event while also having such fantastic support from the crowd.

“It’s really cool that I could put two clean programs together,” said Everhardt. “It was also really cool to have everyone supporting me and kind of skating with me.”

Malinin Takes SP with 19 point Lead

by Liz Leamy

(January 27, 2024) Ilia Malinin, the 2023 U.S. titlist, 2023 World bronze medalist and 2022/2023 ISU Grand Prix Final champion, easily catapulted to the top of the men’s leaderboard at the U.S. Championships with a stellar short program that featured a quad toe, triple Axel and quad Lutz-triple toe combination to earn a 108.57, numbers that put him ahead of the 17-member field by a staggering lead of nearly 19 points.

Right from outset, Malinin had full command of the crowd at the Nationwide Arena as he flew around the ice with great strength, command, skill and presence, generating applause, cheers and whistles from the crowd upon executing all of his elements, especially the quads, to the dramatic piece ‘Malaguena’ by Roni Benise.

For his performance, Malinin was awarded a 61.99 for his technical scores and a program component score of 46.58.

According to Malinin, this was a memorable outing in all regards.

“I felt a lot of energy from the crowd and was able to use that energy to push myself and entertain and skate for the audience,” said Malinin, who lives in Reston, Virginia. “To be here at the U.S. Championships means a lot.”

Maxim Naumov of Norwood, Massachusetts who had placed fourth at the 2023 U.S. Championships, clinched the second-highest marks of this competition, an 89.72, for his crisp, exciting and stellar program to Joji’s ‘Glimpse of Us.’

Wearing black pants and maroon top, Naumov commanded the ice with the confidence and stealth of a top contender, reeling off a huge and solid quad Salchow, nice triple Axel and soaring triple Lutz-triple toe in expert fashion.

Naumov’s skating, which was defined by incredibly clean and fluid lines that correlated ideally with the music, was, like Malinin also a big hit with the crowd.

For his performance, Naumov was awarded a 48.98 for his elements and a 40.74 for his components.

“I definitely feel happy with how I did, for sure but am now staying focused on Sunday,” said Naumov in regard to the final free skate portion of the competition that will be held on Sunday, January 28th. “The National Championships are what your whole season leads up to.”

Naumov, meanwhile, spoke about on his excitement in regard to having the opportunity to compete at Nationals.

“I always love all the energy, the atmosphere, the vibe and the people in the audience as well as being with my friends and family,” said Naumov. “I just love the competition.”  

Jason Brown, the 2015 U.S. champion, claimed the third-highest marks of this event for his riveting program to ‘Adios’ by Joseph Clementine, earning an 89.02. 

Another huge crowd favorite, Brown earned big applause for his performance, which featured a soaring triple flip, triple Lutz-triple toe, gorgeous spins, terrific edges and innovative connecting moves and footwork. 

Although he missed the landing of his triple Axel, Brown delivered the goods to rack up a 46.17 component score and 43.85 for his technical elements. 

“This feels like a homecoming and I felt great out there,” said Brown, who, in addition to winning the 2015 U.S. title, has scored medals at Nationals in the Championship division six times over the years, earning three silver and three bronze medals in total to date. “I love the fight and am looking forward to the free.” 

Brown also spoke about the ever-evolving standard of the sport. 

“The level of skating just continues to be elevated year after year. You see that in Ilia and you saw that in Nathan (Chen, the 2022 Olympic champion, three-time World victor and six-time U.S. titlist).” said Brown, who hails from Highland Park, Illinois. “It’s awesome for the sport and the country.” 

Brown also gave big props to vital role of the audience and to all the people who help support skating in this vital capacity. 

“We also owe a lot of the sport to the audience,” said Brown. “This sport is so much about engagement and the whole participative element is what makes it so unique and engaging.” 

Levito Locks in Lead in Dramatic U.S. Women’s Short Program Showdown

by Liz Leamy 

Isabeau Levito, the reigning U.S. champion and 2022-2023 International Skating Union Grand Prix Final silver medalist who hails from Mount Holly, New Jersey, clinched first place in the women’s short program with a 75.38, edging out Amber Glenn, the 2021 U.S. silver medalist, by a fourth of a point. 

Donned in a stunning black and white ombre dress, Levito earned the event’s highest points due to the incredible quality of her program to ‘Nella Fantasia’ by Jackie Evancho in which she executed an electric triple Lutz-triple toe combination, easy triple flip and gorgeous double Axel as well as artful spins and graceful footwork.  

Skating with confidence, strength and power, Levito scored the highest element score among the 18 talented contenders who qualified for this competition, a 39.96, earning a majority of plus-three and plus-four grade of execution marks from the judging panel for nearly all of her seven required moves. 

For Levito, the primary goal was to just do her best. 

“I’m really happy with how I skated today and I’m excited about tomorrow,” said Levito, who also had the highest component score of the competition, a 35.42. “I’m excited especially with the new program.” 

Prior to this event, Levito, who trains with Yulia Kuznetsova in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, had been skating to a different piece of music this season, ‘Yearning’ by Raul Ferrando, citing the change was due to the fact that she wanted to try something different for this competition. 

Amber Glenn earned the second highest marks of this showdown, a 74.98, for her super-charged program to ‘Heads Will Roll’ by Elephant Music and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. 

Wearing a black unitard lined with diamond embellishments, Glenn, like Levito, generated big applause from the crowd along with big scores from the panel of officials for her elements and artistry which included a soaring triple flip-triple toe, powerful triple loop and nice double Axel as well as other memorable things. 

In this competition, Glenn racked up the event’s second-highest element total, a 39.68, as well as the second-best component score, a 35.30. 

“It was an overall enjoyable experience and I’m happy with what I did today. This is such an important event for me,” said Glenn. “I just had a really good time.” 

For Glenn, her love for the sport is always a top priority. 

“I’m at the point in my career where I’m doing it because I enjoy it,” said Glenn, who is from Plano, Texas and trains with Damon Allen and Tammy Gambill in Colorado Springs. “I just enjoy figure skating and what I do and I feel it is what helps me in a performance.” 

Clare Seo, the 2022 U.S. junior champion who was seventh at the 2023 U.S. Championships, scored the third-highest marks of the competition, a 67.41, for her action-packed program to ‘Simple Gift’ by Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krause and ‘Appalachian Spring’ by the New York Philharmonic. 

Wearing a maroon ombre dress, Seo reeled off a triple Lutz-triple toe, triple loop and double Axel with fantastic power, explosiveness and command as well as beautifully positioned, high-speed spins, among other things that resonated in a big way with the crowd as well as officials. 

For this program, Seo, who trains in Colorado Springs with Tammy Gambill, earned a total element score of 37.11 and component score of 30.30. 

Chock and Bates Take Commanding Lead in the U.S. Championships’ Rhythm Dance Competition

by Liz Leamy

(January 25, 2024)  Madison Chock & Evan Bates, the reigning World champions, three-time World medalists and four-time U.S. titlists, commanded the Rhythm Dance competition in standard golden style with their electric program to a Queen medley, claiming the top slot on the leaderboard with a 92.17, taking a nearly nine-point lead among the 13 total teams skating in this event.

In signature glamorous fashion, Chock donned a stunning yellow dress with diamond accents that popped alongside Bates’ black costume to present an extraordinary program defined by gorgeous edges, lines, flow and artistry.

In characteristic style, Chock & Bates also executed all of their elements with tremendous command, expertise and aptitude.

Their arsenal included snapfire-style twizzles, a dramatic and fluid lift, theatrical midline sequence, high-energy pattern dance-type sequence and super-charged choreographic rhythm sequence for which they earned big grade of execution marks from the judging panel.

For Chock & Bates, however, their victory was having another opportunity to compete at a U.S. Championships.

“The U.S. Championships are such a special event and have such a unique energy,” said Chock. “To feel the electricity of the audience brings such joy and the more we continue to grow in this sport, the more we realize how special it is.”

For Chock & Bates, their primary purpose is to continue to grow and evolve in regard to their skating.

“It’s a persistence to drive and improve,” said Chock. “We love learning, exploring new avenues of creativity and to push ourselves. It’s been a wonderful journey.”

Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko clinched second with an 83.19 for their dramatic and high-tech performance to a Stevie Nicks medley.

Steady, strong and fluid, Carreira & Ponomarkenko’s performance was all about outstanding edges, body lean, fluidity and power as they racked up high scores for their elements that included a pattern dance type sequence, twizzles, midline, curve lift and choreographic sequence.

“We’re really happy with the skate we put out today,” said Carreira.

Ponomarenko agreed, further pontificating on his gratitude about competing at the U.S. Championships.

“This event is the best top to bottom and to be part of it is very special,” said Ponomarenko.

Caroline  Green & Michael Parsons claimed third in this event with their super-adrenalized program to ‘Still Loving You’ and ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’ by the famed German rock band, the Scorpions, for which they earned an 80.91.

Wearing heavy metal-inspired costumes, Green & Parsons earned excellent grade of execution marks and component scores for their elements which included a sharp midline, power-charged twizzles and an edgy, quick straight-line lift, among other notable things.

Excited about their performance, Green & Parsons also spoke about the thrill of competing at the U.S. Championships.

“Nationals always has such a unique energy and it was great to get out there in front of the home crowd,” said Green.

Parsons also spoke about how much the two have been working in preparation for this event.

“This competition is one we’ve approached with more preparation than ever and I think that shows,” said Parsons.

Chan and Howe Edge Out First in U.S. Pairs Short Program Competition  

by Liz Leamy 

(January 25) The Championship Pairs short program competition at the 2024 Prevagen U.S. Championships in Columbus was said to be anyone’s game going in with all of the 12-team entries being outstanding, but, in the final tally, Emily Chan and Spencer Howe skated away with the highest marks of the event, a 65.86, edging out a narrow lead of nearly one and a half point over of the rest of the field.   

Skating to a catching techno version of Elvis Presley’s ‘Craw-Fever,’ Chan & Howe racked up the highest marks of the event for their electric skating style and top-notch elements, covering the ice with tremendous speed, flow and strength, among other critical things. 

Along with a big opening split triple twist, the Skating Club of Boston duo also executed rock-solid triple toe loops, a dramatic death spiral, nicely synched combination spins and a fluid and beautifully extended lift right that was in tandem with the music’s inflections. 

Although the two experienced a fall on their throw triple loop, their program was outstanding, as they rightfully earned the biggest program components of the event, a 32.31. 

Their performance was also impressive considering it had been nearly a year since they had competed due to the fact that Howe was recovering from a shoulder injury. 

“For us to be here and sitting where we’re sitting is a huge blessing,” said Howe. “It felt really great to be out there.” 

For Chan & Howe, it is all about embracing opportunities presented by facing challenges that they face in regard to their training and skating. 

“We both knew we would be out there together,” said Chan. “It’s nice to be here and feel the energy of the crowd. It’s a reminder of what it’s like to be in a competition environment.” 

Howe agreed. 

“We’ve learned to embrace adrenaline and embrace the crowd,” said Howe. “We’ve done a lot of competition simulations leading up to here, but nothing beats competition.” 

Ellie Kam & Danny O’Shea scored the second-highest marks of this portion of this event, a 64.57 for their moving and powerful interpretation to the musical score from the classic Hollywood movie, ‘East of Eden.’ 

Donned in green and black costumes, Kam and O’Shea earned the second highest component and element scores of this portion of the competition, a 34.59 and 30.98, respectively. 

Their program featured many memorable moments, including excellent side-by-side triple Salchows, a stunning helicopter-like lift, beautifully positioned synchronized spins and a stunning death spiral done in perfect concert with the crescendos of the music. 

Although they had a fall on their throw triple loop, their program was memorable in all respects and resonated with the crowd who gave them roaring applause at its conclusion. 

For Kam & O’Shea, the experience was a good one in all regards. 

“We’re happy to be here performing in front of the amazing crowd here in Columbus,” said O’Shea. “We’ve been training really hard and feel confident, especially going into the second half of the season.” 

Katie McBeath & Daniil Parkman clinched third with a 64.21, earning the highest total element score, a 35.86, for their clean and high-charged program to ‘Requiem for a Dream’ by Clint Mansell. 

This dynamic duo knocked out a big split triple twist, excellent triple toe loops, a high throw triple Lutz, adrenalized spins with terrific lines and positions, a nice step sequence and soaring lift with notable ease, command and strength. 

“It’s been so fun and I feel like I’m home,” said McBeath, who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, just several hours north of Columbus. “So far I’m loving it here and I have family and friends who are going to come to watch.” 

McBeath elaborated on the joy of having the opportunity to compete with such wonderful teams and skaters at this competition. 

“We’re going to keep pushing each other. It makes for great energy and a great competition,” said McBeath.

[Note: Following the event segment Kam and Howe withdrew from the competition due to the residual effect of Howe's longstanding shoulder injury.]

Malinin Favored to Win Second U.S. Title at 2024 U.S. Championships in Columbus, OH

by Liz Leamy

Ilia Malinin, the American jumping sensation who is the reigning U.S. Men’s champion, 2023 World bronze medalist and 2023/2024 International Skating Union Grand Prix Final titlist, is fired up to put out two top-notch programs at the 2024 U.S. Championships in Columbus, Ohio this week with a goal of clinching a second consecutive U.S. title.

“How well I perform at Nationals will definitely give me that confidence boost, that adrenaline and motivation I need to get to focus onto maximize my achievements at Worlds,” said Malinin, who is the 2022 U.S. silver medalist and 2022 World Junior champion. “I think Nationals will give me a really good base to see what things I can work on and other things I’ve really started to improve on in terms of how they work at the beginning of the season and now.”

This incredibly driven and talented 19 year-old, who lives in Vienna, Virginia, close to the Reston, Virginia facility where he spends much of his time training with his parents, Roman Skorniakov and Tatiana Malinina, who were both Uzbekistani Olympic singles competitors, has emerged as a major global sports figure over the past few years due to the fact that he is the only skater to have ever successfully executed a quad Axel at a national or international competition.

For Malinin however, it’s about staying focused on the present as he goes into each day with the intention of building upon his skating artistically as well as technically.

“Every year I’m always trying to evolve in terms of skating mentally,” said Malinin, who graduated from George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Virginia last year and is now taking online classes at George Mason University. “This season it was about the artistry and cleanliness of my programs, which was really the main focus. Last year, it was really about getting the quads and to have that solid base.”

Malinin, who also trains with Rafael Arutyunyan at Great Park Ice and Fivepoint Arena in Irvine, California, certainly knows how to get the job done, especially in noting all of his extraordinary accomplishments over the past several years.

Back in 2019, when Malinin was the U.S. Novice bronze medalist, there was a definitely a lot of buzz about him being one of the sport’s upcoming stars.

Then, in 2020, Malinin did respectfully, having racked up several top 10 finishes at ISU Junior Grand Prix events that season as well as placed 16th at the 2020 World Junior Championships. 

After that season, this laser-focused athlete then went into serious warrior mode and began to train more intensively than ever, a pivotal time from which he then went onto emerge as one of the top skaters in the world.

By 2022, Malinin was able to execute nearly all the quad jumps in stunning and consistent fashion, element that helped catapulted him to the pinnacle of men’s single skating both domestically and internationally at the Championship level.

That year, he victoriously clinched silver at the 2022 U.S. Championships in January, placing right behind Nathan Chen, the 2022 Olympic champion, three-time World titlist and six-time U.S. gold medalist and then gold at the 2022 World Junior Championships in March.

After this game-changing season, Malinin continued to further elevate himself as a premier world contender while also going on to make sports history upon executing a clean and solid quad Axel at the 2022 CS Classic that September and then again at the 2022 ISU Skate America Championships in October where he finished first.

Since that time, Malinin has only gone on to further evolve as a leader of the sport in terms of both his technique and artistry.

At the same time, he has also been learning to embrace the whole all-important concept of handling pressure being a top U.S. and world contender.

“At first it was new and something that I wasn’t used to. I think over the past couple of years, I’ve really gotten used to it and familiar with it and I’ve learned how to really take it in and use it to my advantage,” said Malinin. “I try to say to myself ‘try to do what you’ve done in practice and to really focus on that muscle memory’ and to just enjoy the performance and enjoy the crowd as much as possible.”

Malinin, meanwhile, also talked about how grateful for all the hard work and dedication of his parents in regard to his skating over the years.

“I look up to both my parents. They were really successful in this sport and they were at a high level, so they know how to go through this whole process and it just means a lot that they’re always there to support me and just help me,” said Malinin. “The fact that they’re also my parents means they also know what I’m feeling and they can really help me mentally and physically. They’ve put in so many hours, including just driving me to the rink. I’m grateful for them.”

In considering all the dedication, work, time and heart that Malinin, his parents, Arutyunyan and the rest of his team have been putting in to his skating, this certainly ought to be another memorable experience in regard to seeing him compete at the U.S. Championships in Columbus this week, that is for sure.

Isabeau Levito Looking to Clinch Second U.S. Title in Columbus

by Liz Leamy

Isabeau Levito is as geared up as ever to make a golden mark at the U.S. Championships in Colombus, Ohio with the hopes of scoring her second consecutive U.S. title.

Levito, the 16 year-old 2023 U.S. champion who is the 2022-2023 International Skating Union Championship Grand Prix Final silver medalist and 2022 World Junior titlist, has been working as hard as ever to indeed achieve that goal at this celebrated annual sports event that will be held at the Nationwide Arena from January 22nd to 28th.

“I expect myself to do programs where I just go into every jump and let loose and go for things,” said Levito, who trains with a team of coaches headed by Yulia Kuznetsova at the Igloo Ice Rink in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, which is located just 15 minutes away from her home in Mount Holly, New Jersey. “I just hope to give a beautiful performance not only that can be deserving of a gold medal, but also beautiful to watch and entertaining.”

Certainly, this athlete seems to know exactly how to do just that, especially in looking at her astonishing competitive record in recent years.

Two years ago at the 2022 U.S. Championships in Nashville, Levito, who was then 14 and competing as a first-time-ever senior, racked up an impressive fourth-place finish, as well as national and worldwide public acclaim for her incredible style of skating which revolves around terrific grace, beauty and strength. (At this event, Levito’s signature ‘Swan’ short program was, in fact, so memorable that it has since had more than 8.5 million views on the YouTube media platform since it was first broadcast by NBC Television in January 2022.)

Levito, who also had placed fourth at the 2023 World Championships and first at the 2021 Championships in the junior division, has always been all about achieving a gold standard in regard to skating.

Growing up in southern New Jersey, Levito had taken to skating when she first started taking group lessons at a rink near her home.

Around that time, Levito had started working with Kuznetsova and from there, began her stunning ascent as an emerging U.S. skating star, having since gone on to rack up dozens of first-place finishes at competitions throughout the New York metropolitan area, along the East Coast and around the entire U.S. continent.

By the time she was competing as a Juvenile, Intermediate and Novice contender, Levito had become known as a dominant presence in the sport, having won or reached podium status at virtually every major competition held through to the National level.

Known for her exquisite technique and artistry, Levito continued this meteoric climb, having gone on to clinch the U.S. junior title in 2021 at age 13, place fourth at the 2022 U.S. Championships at age 14 and then claim the U.S. title at the 2023 U.S. Championships in San Jose at age 15.

For Levito, however, it’s about having the opportunity to compete, especially when at a major event such as the U.S. Championships.

“I feel excited for Nationals. I always love Nationals,” said Levito, who also enjoys reading as well as playing the piano. “I’m really excited to do my best and see how it all goes.”

Levito, meanwhile, said she is also looking forward to spending time touring the city of Colombus, especially considering this will be the first time she will ever be visiting the state of Ohio.

“I’m really excited to go and explore a little because I’ve never been in Ohio,” said Levito. “I’m really glad Nationals is being hosted there so I can visit another state I haven’t visited before.”

At this event, Levito, who was also fifth at the 2023-2024 ISU Grand Prix Final last December, plans to skate to Raul Fernando’s ‘Yearning’ for the short program and to music from The White Crow film soundtrack by Ilan Eshkeri as performed by Lisa Batiashvili for the free skate.

Asked what she thinks about the entire Championship roster of women skaters, Levito said she is excited to see everyone in Columbus, many of whom she considers to be good friends.

“It’ll be really fun to compete,” said Levito. “I think we’re all really strong skaters and I’m excited to see them all because they’re really wonderful people.”


Interview with Isabeau levito

Interview with Ilia Malinin

Recap and Commentary for 2024 European Championships

Recap and Commentary for 2023 Senior Grand Prix Final

Recap and Commentary for 2023 Junior Grand Prix Final

Recap and Commentary for 2023 NHK

Recap and Commentary for 2023 Cup of China

Recap and Commentary for 2023 Grand Prix Espoo

Recap and Commentary for 2023 Skate France

Recap and Commentary for 2023 Skate Canada International

October 26-29, 2023

Vancouver, BC, Canada

2023 Skate America

October 19-22, 2023

Allen, TX, USA

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Interview with Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen

Interview with Nikolaj Memola, 2022 Junior Grand Prix Men's Champion

Interview with Madison Chock and Evan Bates

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Interview with Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, 2022 World Pairs Champions

Interview with Loena Hendrickx, Belgian Women's Champion, 2022 World Silver Medalist and 2022 Grand Prix de France Gold Medalist

Interview with Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, Canadian Ice Dance Champions, 2022 Skate Canada Gold Medalists

Interview with Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, Canadian Pairs Skaters, 2022 Skate America Silver Medalists

Interview with Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, British Ice Dance Champions

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2024-25 ISU Grand Prix

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