Clearly again on his sport, Nathan Chen set a brief program file on the US determine skating championships on Saturday.
With a efficiency stuffed with very good footwork and spins – there have been two huge quads in it, too – Chen despatched a message to all his rivals, right here and overseas. His 115.39 factors beat the nationals mark of 114.13 he set in 2020.
That was too excessive, above the ice and on the judges’ rating sheets, for Vincent Zhou. Chen’s major competitors right here was wonderful, although, showing relaxed and assured all through his program as he nailed the identical quad lutz-triple toe loop that Chen did for a rating of 112.78 that additionally was a private greatest.
Ilia Malinin, 17, jumped his solution to third place forward of veteran Jason Brown, 103.46 to 100.84, in a superb show of skating for a lot of the males’s area.
“I imply, it’s wonderful to have such robust US rivals, particularly heading into an Olympic season,” Chen stated. “Regardless who will get to go, we’ll have a very robust workforce there. However you deal with your self, I can’t management anything.”
Chen’s struggles at October’s Skate America have been gorgeous given his run of 14 consecutive victories for the reason that 2018 Olympics. His fast return to the highest started every week later with a win at Skate Canada, and Saturday, he was pretty much as good as ever.
Chen, 22, and two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan would be the favorites on the Beijing Video games. No man has received three consecutive Olympic golds within the trendy period. Chen has not misplaced to Hanyu since Pyeongchang, when a fiasco within the quick program doomed Chen’s probabilities. Hanyu lately received the Japanese nationals, however his quick program rating was greater than 4 factors decrease than Chen’s on Saturday.
Zhou, 21, has ridden one thing of a curler coaster in his senior profession, highlighted by a bronze medal on the 2019 worlds, three US silver medals behind Chen, and the Skate America triumph earlier this yr.
Final March, he fell aside within the quick program on the world championships and didn’t even qualify for the free skate. That compelled him to take part within the Nebelhorn Trophy to safe a 3rd males’s Olympic spot for the US; in a clutch efficiency, he received.
Now, Zhou appears destined for his second Olympics; he was sixth in South Korea, one spot behind Chen.
Malinin, a rising power on the US scene after a powerful earlier season within the junior ranks, has been referred to by his followers as a “quad god”. He actually lived as much as that billing with a quad-filled program and a few dynamic spins.
“My response was stunning to see it,” Malinin stated of his rating, “as a result of I type of dreamed of getting over 100, however I by no means knew I might do it. Now that I give it some thought, in case you put within the time and the hassle you possibly can obtain anythin
Brown, 27, made the US squad for the 2014 Sochi Video games, incomes a bronze medal within the workforce occasion when he carried out the free skate. He was crushed out for the 2018 Olympics, however displayed as soon as extra his endurance in Saturday’s quick program.
Attending to Nashville in all probability was more difficult logistically than performance-wise for Brown, given the snowstorm and frigid temperatures this week.
“After 33 hours of journey, 5 cancelled flights, 4 airline adjustments, 3 airports, 2 international locations, an in a single day in Atlanta, a rental automobile, and a ton of assist… We formally made it to Nashville!” he posted on social media.
Then he put out a flowing, highly effective, high-speed routine that had the gang on its toes properly earlier than Brown completed with a flourish, then sat on the ice, soaking within the cheers.
Nonetheless, unable to match the quads of Malinin, Brown’s 100.84 factors positioned him fourth – with that ever-present smile on his face anyway.
“For me it was the one factor I knew was the response of the gang, which was superior to see all of them on their toes,” he stated. “After which the scores got here up. However for me it’s what you are able to do in that second, placing your greatest foot ahead and skating your skate. I can solely win at my very own sport.”
Liu joins Bell, Chen on US determine skating workforce for Olympics
Alysa Liu actually didn’t look as if she was affected by Covid-19 on Saturday, when her smiling face was beamed into Bridgestone Enviornment by Zoom following the announcement of the American workforce headed for the Beijing Olympics.
The most important query now: When will her quarantine interval finish?
Liu joined US champion Mariah Bell and runner-up Karen Chen in making the three-woman squad, regardless that she was compelled to withdraw from nationals following a optimistic check. Liu wound up watching the free skate along with her associates throughout a Facetime chat from her Nashville resort room, the place she's going to keep till she will be able to return two damaging checks.
Solely then can she journey again to her coaching base in Colorado and start making ready for subsequent month’s Winter Video games.
“I’m really feeling tremendous,” stated the 16-year-old Liu, a two-time nationwide champion who was in third place after quick program. “I imply, it relies upon how rapidly I can check damaging. I actually do not know about something. I’m guessing I’m simply going to remain right here till I don’t have Covid anymore, on this resort room I’ve been staying at.”
What has she been as much as throughout her sudden isolation?
“Nicely, at the moment I did nothing,” Liu stated with fun. “I watch like, half of the fellows’ occasion as a result of I forgot they competed at the moment, and I used to be like, ‘Oh my God! They already began.’ So I watched a few of that. I watched some Netflix. That’s it. That’s all I’ve been doing. And I don’t know what I’m doing tomorrow or something. I haven’t had time to speak to my workforce but.”
Liu is likely one of the few American ladies who can land the high-scoring triple axel; she fell on the three 1/2-rotation leap in her quick program. And she or he virtually actually might want to hit it cleanly – and every little thing else, for that matter – to push one of many closely favored Russian ladies off the rostrum in Beijing.
“I can’t predict how we’re going to do,” Liu stated. “I hope all of us do very well, simply how we would like. However I do not know.”
Liu’s choice to the Olympic workforce grew to become one thing of a formality when 14-year-old Isabeau Levito, who is just too younger to skate in Beijing, delivered a blinding free skate Friday evening. Levito joined Bell and Chen on the nationals podium, preserving such rivals as Lindsay Thorngren and Gracie Gold from having a declare to the third spot.
“It type of will get me excited to listen to them speaking concerning the Olympics,” stated Levito, whose intention is the 2026 Video games in Milan. “I’m excited for them. Speaking concerning the Olympics on the whole, and so they’re so shut – it’s a really thrilling occasion.”
One which the 25-year-old Bell will get to expertise for the primary time.
She lastly broke by means of at nationals in her ninth look, profitable each the quick program and free skate to earn her long-awaited Olympic journey. Bell grew to become the oldest girl in 95 years to win the US title, and now will get to face the Russian youngsters who've been setting the determine skating world on fireplace.
“I believe there’s loads to say about expertise,” stated Bell, whose rating of 216.25 factors at nationals was far behind the world-record 272.71 set by Russia’s Kamila Valieva this season. “You possibly can faucet into expertise and actually use it to your benefit in lots of conditions, and I positively have that.”
US Determine Skating has an identical state of affairs in deciding on the 2 pairs groups for Beijing, as a result of the favored duo of Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier withdrew earlier than nationals when he examined optimistic for Covid-19. Knierim and Frazier likewise petitioned for a spot on the Olympic workforce and are anticipated to be chosen.
The pairs and ice dance groups will probably be chosen as soon as they conclude competitors Saturday evening. The three males headed to Beijing will probably be introduced after their free skate Sunday, although Nathan Chen and Vincent Zhou are principally locks after they turned in dazzling quick applications earlier Saturday.
“It’s the Olympic yr,” Zhou stated. “There’s plenty of stress, everyone is nervous, however the power is wonderful.”
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