Even after the withdrawal of two-time US champion Bradie Tennell, the competition at the 2022 US Figure Skating Championships for the three Beijing Olympics spots will still be incredibly exciting. On paper, it will be among four skaters - Mariah Bell, Karen Chen, Amber Glenn, and Alysa Liu,. But it’s Nationals, and there are a number of dark horses who could potentially play the spoiler if they can figure out how to put down two clean programs when it matters most. All this and I haven’t even mentioned the podium contender who isn’t even eligible for the Olympics - last year’s junior champion, Isabeau Levito.
2022 US Championships predictions
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GOLD Alysa Liu - On the heels of a second coaching change in as many years, Liu comes in as the US woman with the highest international scores this season. And though it’s daunting - and likely jarring - for her to have switched coaches so close to Nationals and to the Olympics, it’s likely that her team hasn’t made significant changes to anything that would throw her off - it’s just too experienced of a team to be doing that. The question will be whether the underrotations that have crept in during the middle part of this season will appear in Nashville this week, in which case it could make the difference between medals.
SILVER Mariah Bell - A year ago, Bell was in the midst of something of a slump. After a brilliant 2019-20 season, where it felt like she was on her way to something really special at the 2020 Worlds, she had a lot of trouble with getting the right vehicles and figuring out her place in the skating world last season. Of course, 2020 Worlds never happened because of the pandemic, and you wonder if that blip in her schedule had played a role in how last season went. But of all the women here, Bell is coming in with the most momentum - her fourth place at Rostelecom Cup was the strongest she’s skated since 2020 Nationals. And she looks poised to make that first Olympic team.
BRONZE Isabeau Levito - One of the rising stars of the Junior Grand Prtix series this season, Levito had been on her way to the (since cancelled) Junior Grand Prix Final until an injury forced her to withdraw. The question on what medal she will walk away with depends a lot on what the severity of that injury was and how well she’s been able to recover. There’s absolutely a chance that she can win this whole thing - she’s got the technical chops for it, and she’s also got fantastic basics that make her formidable against the very best seniors in the US.
4. Karen Chen - Can Karen Chen turn what’s been another up and down season into brilliant skating once again the US Championships? Truth be told, after she made it to the Olympics four years ago, I didn’t think we would still see her skating at this point and going for her second Olympic team. And had it not been for her heroics at Worlds last year (yet again) with a fourth-place finish, the US would not have been able to regain that third spot for the women. The key for her will be full rotations, which she has been struggling with more in competition than in practice this season.
5. Amber Glenn - To triple axel or not to triple axel? That’s been both the blessing and the curse for Glenn, who has shown time and time again in practice that she’s more than capable of hitting that jump. But it’s bene elusive for her in international competition. Hitting it in her short program could provide her with the cushion that she needs, but missing it could derail the rest of her competition. It’s always a game-time decision for Glenn as to what she’s going to put out there, but if she can skate cleanly, she’s very much in the mix for an Olympic spot.
6. Lindsay Thorngren - Of the outsiders looking in, Thorngren is the one who is most likely to play the role of the spoiler. She won the US junior title two years ago and took sixth last year at her first senior Nationals, and she’s got the technical goods to deliver. Her overall basics have improved, but they are still the thing that will keep her from challenging if everyone is clean. But if there are mistakes to be had, Thorngren is the most likely to be able to take advantage.
7. Audrey Shin - Early last season, Shin looked like she was on her way to becoming one of the ones to watch for the Olympic season. But injury and inconsistency have plagued her progress over the past season, and she comes in with a shot but will need to be much more consistent to be able to get herself into the conversation.
8. Gabriella Izzo - Consistency has been a problem for Izzo, but when she’s on, she’s got strong technical content and a flair for the dramatic. She will be looking to repeat her top ten performances from the past two seasons.
9. Gracie Gold - On the heels of a tremendous short program at her last competition, her second qualifying event for US Nationals, Gold perhaps returns to US Nationals looking as strong as she has looked since the 2015-16 season. The jumps are there, but the question will be more around the conditioning for her free skate and how she will be back in front of a big crowd.
10. Hanna Harrell - It’s been a long road back since her 4th-place finish at Nationals three years ago. Stress fractures have kept her from practice and competition over the past few years but she seems to finally be back, and returning to Nationals with a stronger outlook after last year’s 17th-place finish.