Figure skating Olympic hopefuls

Figure skating nationals were held Jan. 20 through Jan. 26 in Greensboro, N.C., this year. Performance at nationals literally determines a skater’s career. The United States figure skating committee meet after the results are posted for nationals to discuss which skaters will represent the US at international competitions and the Olympics. The next Olympics start Feb. 4, 2022, in Beijing, China. Even though it is two years out, there is still big talk about which Americans have a shot at a gold medal.

The first name you need to know is Nathan Chen, also known as the “Quad King.” Chen was the first man to ever to land five quadruple jumps in one program (Nationals 2017). He is the best men’s figure skater that America has ever seen. He is constantly breaking score records (which were previously set by himself). He won Nationals this year by simplifying his programs (because no American can compete with him) and still won by 37.29 points.

Chen competed at the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018 and it was tragic. There is a common saying in figure skating that you can’t win in the short program, but you can lose. Chen had a disastrous short program that put him in 17th place. After a stellar long program landing six quads, he climbed all the way to fifth. He was 18 at the time and I’m sure the pressure was overwhelming. Since the Olympics, Chen hasn’t faltered in the slightest in any competition.

Very few people can compete with Chen. The only man who can threaten him is Japanese skater, “The great” Yuzuru Hanyu. Hanyu is the only person in the world who can compete with Chen technically, and I would say he has a slight artistic advantage. Hanyu has won gold at the Olympics for the past two Olympic cycles. As for who will take gold in 2022, it all depends on who has the better day. You can bet it will be a quad war.

The US ladies can’t compete internationally, that is until Alysa Liu showed up. The Russian ladies dominate. The competition is so fierce within their country that one year a skater can be amazing, placing first in every competition and irrelevant the next because another Russian skater has out-competed them. Right now, figure skating is in a “quad revolution,” for both ladies and men.

Until recent years, it was thought impossible for a women to land a quad jump. A handful of Russian ladies have almost perfected their quad jumps, including Alexandra Trusova and Anna Shcherbakova. Trusova became the first woman to land three quads in a free skate in 2019. They, along with Alina Zagitova (reigning Olympic champ), are gold medal contenders and there could even be a Russian sweep of the podium.

Another rarity in figure skating is a lady who can land a triple axel. The majority only do double axels. Liu can land triple axels and quad jumps. She became a sensation overnight at Nationals 2019 after landing two triple axels in the long program. She became the youngest women’s champion at the age of 13, which was previously held by Tara Lipinksi at age 14 in 1997. At Nationals 2020, Liu held onto her title by landing two triple axels and a quad lutz, a jump never before attempted by a lady at US Nationals.

To compete at the Olympics, an athlete must turn 15 by the previous July 1, which means that Liu will be eligible to compete in 2022. She is the best hope we have for a US lady to make the podium.

There are two other disciplines in figure skating, ice dancing and pairs. Our national champs in both disciples, Madison Chock and Evan Bates in ice dancing, and Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Christopher Knierim in pairs, have the best shot for Americans to make the podium, but I wouldn’t say they are gold medal contenders.

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France are breathtaking to watch and it is their time to win gold at the Olympics with top skaters Americans Charlie White and Meryl Davis and Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir both retired. I just don’t see Chock and Bates taking gold.

As for who should win gold in pair’s, it is impossible to say. I don’t personally enjoy watching pairs skating because it is a rarity to see a “clean” (mistake free) performance. Pairs skaters throw each other on jumps and do side-by-side jumps, which are difficult to execute cleanly. So it really is anyone’s game from any country.