The energy inside St. Louis’s Enterprise Center this week has been nothing short of electric, as the U.S. Figure Skating Championships unfolded with high stakes and even higher emotions. As the final qualifier for next month’s 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, this storied event has drawn the nation’s best skaters, all vying for a coveted spot on Team USA. While the official Olympic roster won’t be revealed until Sunday, January 11, the performances on display have already left fans and judges buzzing with anticipation.
All eyes were on 22-year-old Ilia Malinin, the reigning world champion and the sport’s so-called “Quad God.” Malinin, undefeated in every major competition since 2023, dazzled the crowd and the judges during Thursday night’s men’s short program. He landed a jaw-dropping quadruple axel—a feat once thought impossible—along with a quadruple flip and a quadruple lutz-triple toe loop combination. His score? A commanding 115.10 points, putting him a staggering 25 points ahead of his nearest competitor. The message was clear: Malinin’s ticket to Milan is all but punched.
Behind Malinin, the men’s field remains fiercely competitive. Tomoki Hiwatashi, known for his crowd-pleasing style, delivered a spirited performance to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” nailing a slightly under-rotated quadruple toe loop for a total of 89.26 points. Hiwatashi credited the audience for fueling his skate, saying, “I hear them cheering me on, and being out there is very fun for me. I hope they enjoy it as much as I do.”
Not far behind is Jason Brown, the 31-year-old veteran who sits in third place with 88.49 points. Brown, aiming for his third Olympic appearance, revisited his breakout 2014 “Riverdance” program—a sentimental favorite that once earned him a spot on the Sochi team at just 19. The crowd responded with a standing ovation as Brown capped his performance with a signature cartwheel out of his final spin. “Every time I perform this program, it’s truly like a love note to the audience,” Brown shared, his connection to the fans evident in every move.
Fourth place belongs to Maxim Naumov, whose emotional skate to Chopin was dedicated to his late parents, Olympic pair skaters and coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova. Both tragically died in a plane crash in early 2025, just days after last year’s championships. Naumov, holding a childhood photo with his parents in the kiss-and-cry area, reflected on their influence: “It’s all about being resilient. That’s the feeling and the mentality that I’ve come into this entire season. What if, despite everything that happened to me, I can still go out there and do it?”
With Malinin’s spot seemingly secure, the battle for the remaining two men’s Olympic berths is heating up. Brown’s consistency makes him a favorite, but Hiwatashi and Naumov are both within striking distance, especially with Andrew Torgashev lurking in fifth after a shaky short program. The men’s long program on Saturday promises to be a nail-biter.
The women’s competition has been equally riveting, highlighted by Amber Glenn’s record-setting short program to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” Glenn posted an unprecedented 83.05 points—the highest women’s short program score in U.S. championships history. The audience erupted as she landed a flawless triple Axel and danced through her choreographic sequence, their cheers echoing throughout the arena. “I feel ecstatic,” Glenn beamed after her skate, her joy infectious.
Chasing Glenn is Alysa Liu, who returned to competition last season after a brief retirement following the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Liu’s program to “Promise” by Laufey earned her 81.11 points, showcasing her trademark athleticism with a clean triple lutz-triple loop and a dazzling Biellmann spin. “I would say that’s my favorite short program I’ve done and performed for an audience,” Liu reflected, her smile lighting up the press area.
In third, Isabeau Levito, the 2023 U.S. champion and 2024 world silver medalist, delivered a personal best of 75.75 points with a playful performance to “Zou Bisou Bisou.” Levito described the routine as “easy” to embody, adding, “I almost get to be myself, just extreme.” If Glenn, Liu, and Levito repeat their clean skates in the free program, they’ll almost certainly lock in the three women’s Olympic spots.
Ice dance, always a crowd favorite, saw Madison Chock and Evan Bates extend their dominance. The reigning world champions scored a season-best 91.70 in their rhythm dance set to a Lenny Kravitz medley. Chock and Bates, already six-time U.S. champions, are aiming for a record-breaking seventh national title and another shot at Olympic gold after finishing fourth in Beijing. “We had a ton of fun performing today,” Chock said. “I felt like we were present and grounded and able to enjoy the energy of the arena and connection between the two of us. We felt like this was a great skate and a stepping stone toward Milan.”
Behind them, Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik delivered an upbeat routine to Bell Biv DeVoe, earning 85.98 points. Kolesnik, who became a U.S. citizen this summer after nine years in the States, is now eligible for Olympic selection. Zingas summed up their journey: “We were excited to perform today. It’s been a crazy year for us already and we are just trying to enjoy every moment.” Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko, sitting third with 83.29, also made headlines as Carreira recently received her U.S. citizenship, finally making the duo Olympic-eligible.
The pairs competition, meanwhile, has been marked by uncertainty. Reigning champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov led the short program, but Efimova’s U.S. citizenship status hangs in the balance. With the Olympic team announcement looming, Mitrofanov admitted, “We are hoping for a last-minute miracle.” If the paperwork doesn’t come through, Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy, along with Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea—currently second and third—could seize the opportunity to represent Team USA in Milan.
Fans have been glued to their screens as NBC broadcast the pairs and women’s competitions live on Friday night. The championships wrap up Saturday with the much-anticipated free programs in ice dancing and men’s singles. The Olympic team will be officially revealed Sunday, January 11, at 2 p.m. ET, setting the stage for the final countdown to Milan.
With so much at stake and so many compelling stories unfolding on the ice, this year’s U.S. Figure Skating Championships have already delivered unforgettable moments. As the final skates draw near and the Olympic dream hangs in the balance, America’s top skaters are putting everything on the line—one jump, one spin, one breathtaking performance at a time.
