Among the 12 pairs at the US Figure Skating Championships this week, four of them have won the past five titles. And chances are, the 2020 gold will go to one of these four pairs. All four pairs have had success internationally this season, and we know US pairs often bring their best to Nationals, so this has the potential to be a memorable pairs event.
US Nationals predictions
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GOLD Ashley Cain-Gribble/Timothy LeDuc - This season has certainly not gone the way that they had wanted it to, but it’s been a build since their disappointment at Skate America. They come in with a title from Golden Spin - the same competition where they had their career-changing fall last year - and if there’s anything we know about Cain-Gribble/LeDuc, it’s that they thrive on adversity.
SILVER Haven Denney/Brandon Frazier - Of all the teams in the pairs’ event here, Denney/Frazier have had the strongest results - they were the only US pair to medal on the Grand Prix, and they did it twice. Their free skate has the potential to blow the roof off, and they will need every bit of that to make up for their base value, which will be the lowest among the top pairs here.
BRONZE Alexa Scimeca Knierim/Chris Knierim - Of all the pairs here, the Knierims are the ones who have the strongest all-around package. Last season was a struggle for them, as they transitioned to two different coaching teams and as Chris was dealing with a wrist injury of their own. The result was a seventh place that was their lowest ever placement at Nationals. But they both look mentally and physically stronger this year, and if their solo jumps fire well this week, they could be looking at a third National title.
4. Jessica Calalang/Brian Johnson - If they put down their very best here, Calalang/Johnson is a team that has the opportunity to be the big surprise. They have big elements to complement their very solid pairs basics. They come in on the heels of a win at Warsaw Cup in November - but everything comes down to whether or not they can put down those side-by-sides.
5. Tarah Kayne/Danny O’Shea - The 2016 US champions come in with some momentum after finishing with the silver at Golden Spin last month and putting down their best free skate of the season. Of the top pairs here, they are potentially the ones who will be most unpredictable in how they will score - more than most, their performances correlate with how clean they are. There’s absolutely a possibility for them to get onto the podium again this year.
6. Audrey Lu/Misha Mitrofanov - Eighth at Rostelecom Cup, Lu/Mitrofanov have the base value to be competitive with the top teams here. But they will need to skate clean to put themselves in contention with the rest.
7. Olivia Serafini/Mervin Tran - In their second season together, Serafini/Tran have had more competitions under their belt coming into Nationals. They were fifth at Finlandia Trophy to start the season and, most recently, seventh at Golden Spin.
8. Jessica Pfund/Joshua Santillan - Pfund/Santillan are back at Nationals after withdrawing last season. They were fifth three years ago and eighth two years ago.