Winter Sports

The top figure skaters in the nation are set to enter the fray at the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Bridgestone Arena in Tennessee, Nashville.

The championship-level competitions get underway on Thursday, with the pairs short program and the women's short program both taking place. They follow the junior women's free skate, which will wrap up the junior portion of the event.

The women and pairs who take the ice will be looking to get off to a strong start before taking part in free skates later in the week (women on Friday, pairs on Saturday). And potential spots in the United States Winter Olympics team will also be on the line ahead of next month's Games in Beijing.

Here's a look at the TV schedule for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, followed by more on Thursday's action.

TV Schedule

Thursday, Jan. 6

Pairs Short, 5-7 p.m. ET, USA Network

Women's Short, 8:30-10:30 p.m. ET, USA Network

Friday, Jan. 7

Rhythm Dance, 4-6 p.m. ET, USA Network

Women's Free, 8-11 p.m. ET, NBC

Saturday, Jan. 8

Men's Short, 4-6 p.m. ET, NBC

Pairs Free and Free Dance, 7-10 p.m. ET, USA Network

Sunday, Jan. 9

Men's Free, 2-4 p.m. ET, NBC

Thursday Preview, Predictions

Alysa Liu's quest for a third gold medal in four years at the championships will begin Thursday, when the 16-year-old takes the ice for the first time. But she'll face some strong competition over the next two days.

The Californian's two-year run as the women's champion ended in 2021, when Bradie Tennell won the event for the second time. However, the 23-year-old isn't participating this year due to a right foot injury.

That could lead to Liu reclaiming the gold after she placed fourth last year. But some other recent top finishers will also be in the mix.

Amber Glenn won the silver medal in the women's competition at last year's championships, marking her best career showing at the event. The 22-year-old from Texas had never previously placed better than fifth, although she was the junior champion in 2014.

Karen Chen captured the bronze last year, but it wasn't the first time she had appeared on the medal stand. The 22-year-old won the gold in 2017, and she also took home the bronze in 2015 and 2018.

Another name to watch could be Mariah Bell, who won the silver in 2020 after claiming the bronze in 2017 and 2019. The 25-year-old placed fifth last year and will be looking for a bounce-back showing in 2022.

While all of these women have solid chances of winning, expect Liu to get off to a strong start by finishing in first place in the short program. Even though she finished fourth overall in 2021, she still produced a second-place display in the short program. And considering she's been performing better of late, there's a good chance she'll be in first heading into the free skate.

As for the pairs short program, the competition is going to be more open than expected. 

Alexa Scimeca Knierim had won the gold medal in three of the past four years, including with Brandon Frazier in 2021. However, they were forced to withdraw this year after Frazier tested positive for COVID-19.

Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson have won the silver medal in the pairs competition each of the past two years. However, the prediction here is that the leaders after the short program will be Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc, who won the event in 2019 and captured the bronze last year.

Before the championship-level competitions begin, the women's junior event will conclude with the free skate. Clare Seo won the short program with a score of 67.38 on Wednesday, and after she won the junior bronze last year, don't be surprised if she comes away with gold this time.

The 2021 Canadian Figure Skating Championships were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the event returns this year, although it will look a bit different than usual.

Due to recent COVID-19 surges, no fans will be in attendance when the nation's best figure skaters take to the ice at the TD Place Arena in Ottawa. However, there will be TV coverage on Saturday and Sunday via CBC, as well as live-streaming throughout the event, which begins Thursday and lasts until Jan. 13.

With the Winter Olympics set to take place in February in Beijing, the championships will help decide who will be representing Canada at the Games. So the stakes will be even higher than usual.

Here's everything else you need to know about this year's Canadian Figure Skating Championships.

Championship Schedule

Friday, Jan. 7

Women's short program, noon ET

Rhythm dance, 2:45 p.m. ET

Pairs short program, 5:30 p.m. ET

Men's short program, 6:50 p.m. ET

Saturday, Jan. 8

Women's free skate, 10:30 a.m. ET

Free dance, 1:45 p.m. ET

Pairs free skate, 5:15 p.m. ET

Men's free skate, 6:45 p.m. ET

Events will be streamed live on CBC.

Preview, Top Contenders

While certain figure skaters have dominated the Canadian Figure Skating Championships over the years by capturing multiple titles, the last edition of the event in 2020 had first-time winners in both the men's and women's championship-level competitions.

Roman Sadovsky won the men's gold medal in 2020, after he had never placed better than fourth over the previous seven years. He will be among the top contenders this year, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he tops the podium for the second straight time at the event.

The 22-year-old from Toronto may have taken the gold in 2020, but he placed third in the short program before going on to place first in the free skate. In the short program, he finished behind silver medalist Nam Nguyen and bronze medalist Keegan Messing.

Nguyen is a two-time winner at the championships, as he captured the gold in 2015 and 2019. So if anybody can take down Sadovsky this year, it could be the 23-year-old from Ottawa.

Messing, a 29-year-old from Alaska, has never won this event. But he captured the silver medal in 2018, then the bronze in both 2019 and 2020. Maybe this could be the year when he surpasses Sadovsky and Nguyen to win the gold.

In the women's championship-level competition, Emily Bausback is looking to become a two-time winner. She captured the gold medal in 2020, which was her third appearance in the competition. She placed second at the junior level in 2017.

The 19-year-old from Vancouver will likely be the favorite to win this year's women's event, but there are some other strong competitors in the field.

Alison Schumacher and Madeline Schizas won the silver and bronze medals, respectively, in 2020. They'll both be competing again in 2022, with each looking to win the gold for the first time.

Gabrielle Daleman is among the most decorated women's figure skaters at this year's event. She is a two-time winner of the competition, capturing the gold in both 2015 and 2018. She also won the silver medal in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

However, the 23-year-old from Toronto placed fifth in 2019 and eighth in 2020. So she's going to be aiming to get back on the podium after tougher showings in her last two appearances at the event.

Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro won the pairs competition in 2019 and 2020 and will be chasing a third gold this year. Evelyn Walsh and Trennt Michaud finished second in both of those years, and they'll be looking to go one better in 2022.

Now, the action is really underway at the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. And things are only going to ramp up through Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee.

On Tuesday, the junior competitions began at Bridgestone Arena, with the men, pairs and ice dancers taking part in short programs. There will be more junior competitions on Wednesday and Thursday, before the championship-level competitors start taking the ice Thursday.

With the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics set to begin in February, this week's event will help to decide who represents the United States in figure skating at the Games. So these competitions are even more important than usual.

Here's the full TV schedule for this week's U.S. Figure Skating Championships, followed by a preview and predictions for Wednesday's action.

TV Schedule

Thursday, Jan. 6

Pairs Short, 5-7 p.m. ET, USA Network

Women's Short, 8:30-10:30 p.m. ET, USA Network

Friday, Jan. 7

Rhythm Dance, 4-6 p.m. ET, USA Network

Women's Free, 8-11 p.m. ET, NBC

Saturday, Jan. 8

Men's Short, 4-6 p.m. ET, NBC

Pairs Free and Free Dance, 7-10 p.m. ET, USA Network

Sunday, Jan. 9

Men's Free, 2-4 p.m. ET, NBC

Wednesday Preview, Predictions

There's a full slate of junior competitions set to take place Wednesday. And all of it can be streamed live on Peacock Premium, where figure skating fans can get a glimpse at the future of the sport.

The competitions taking place Wednesday are: the junior women's short program (10 a.m. ET), the junior men's free skate (1 p.m. ET), the junior pairs free skate (4 p.m. ET) and the junior free dance (9:30 p.m. ET). There will also be a practice for the championship-level women at 6:45 p.m. ET.

Will Annis jumped out to a lead in the junior men's competition on Tuesday by scoring a 75.81 in the short program. He has the advantage over Kai Kovar (68.7) and Maxim Zharkov (67.07), who ranked second and third, respectively.

Annis finished in first place at the U.S. Junior Championship Series event held in Allen, Texas, in October. A former U.S. juvenile and novice champion, the 16-year-old from Boston could be heading toward a victory at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday.

While Kovar and Zharkov have the potential to end up in first place, the prediction here is that Annis has another strong showing on Wednesday and claims the gold medal. He had momentum entering the competition and was the clear best skater in Tuesday's event.

Sonia Baram and Daniel Tioumentsev are in first place in the junior pairs competition after posting a score of 62.26 points in Tuesday's short program. They have a sizable advantage over Isabelle Martins and Ryan Bedard, who had a score of 54.89.

Don't count out Martins and Bedard heading into Wednesday's free skate, though. They've had success at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships before, having won the silver medal in 2021. They may come up a bit short of the gold again this year, but there's still a chance they could end up in first.

The junior women's competition will get started on Wednesday with the short program, before wrapping up the junior side of things with the free skate on Thursday.

Among the junior women's competitors to watch are Clare Seo and Ava Ziegler. Seo, a 15-year-old from Colorado, won the bronze medal at the event last year; and Ziegler, a 15-year-old from New Jersey, placed fourth in 2021.

Expect Ziegler to get off to a strong start and perhaps be in first place after the short program. She won the 2021 Cranberry Cup, as well as a pair of U.S. Junior Championship Series events last year. She should build off her fourth-place showing from last year by ending up in the top three.

Seo has a strong chance of competing for the gold medal, but the prediction here is that Ziegler will be the top contender to watch.

In 1997, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships became the first sporting event to be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. It took 25 years, but the event has returned to Music City.

On Monday, the 2022 tournament got underway, and there's a lot to be decided over the next week. Competitions will be taking place through Sunday, plus it will then be known who will be representing Team USA in figure skating at the Winter Olympics set for next month in Beijing.

The championship-level competitions won't begin until Thursday, but there's still going to be action in Nashville over the next few days. That's because the junior competitions will be taking place and can give fans a glimpse at the future of the sport.

Here's the TV schedule for this year's U.S. Figure Skating Championships, followed by more on what will be in store for Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena.

TV Schedule

Thursday, Jan. 6

Pairs Short, 5-7 p.m. ET, USA Network

Women's Short, 8:30-10:30 p.m. ET, USA Network

Friday, Jan. 7

Rhythm Dance, 4-6 p.m. ET, USA Network

Women's Free, 8-11 p.m. ET, NBC

Saturday, Jan. 8

Men's Short, 4-6 p.m. ET, NBC

Pairs Free and Free Dance, 7-10 p.m. ET, USA Network

Sunday, Jan. 9

Men's Free, 2-4 p.m. ET, NBC

Tuesday Preview, Predictions

The junior competition gets underway Tuesday with a trio of events. And each of them can be streamed live on Peacock Premium.

First, the junior pairs short program will be taking place at 1 p.m. ET. It will be followed by the junior men's short program at 3:30 p.m. ET. Then, the junior rhythm dance competition will conclude the day's action at 9:15 p.m. ET.

The junior men's and pairs competitions will wrap up with the free skate on Wednesday, while the junior women's short program and free skate won't happen until Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Among the competitors in Tuesday's junior men's short program will be Joseph Klein, who won the silver medal last year behind Eric Prober. Klein is a 17-year-old from Chicago who will likely be one of the favorites to win this year's junior men's competition.

Jacob Sanchez, a 15-year-old from Montgomery, N.Y., finished fourth in last year's men's junior competition and will be competing again this year. He could contend with Klein for the gold medal, assuming these two build off their performances from 2021.

The prediction here is that Klein will edge Sanchez for the gold, and he'll do so after getting off to a strong start in Tuesday's short program.

Klein won't be the only junior silver medalist looking to come back and win gold this time. In the pairs competition, Isabelle Martins and Ryan Bedard, who are both from Illinois, will be looking to finish in first place after coming up just short in 2021.

Catherine Rivers (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Timmy Chapman (Orlando, Fla.) finished fourth in last year's junior pairs competition, and they'll also be looking to perform even better this year. However, it's more likely Martins and Bedard will end up on top after their silver-medal showing last year.

The junior ice dance competition has the potential to be wide open, as none of the top four duos from 2021 will be competing this year.

It's going to be an action-packed week in Nashville, and Tuesday's junior competitions will only be the start. After the youngsters take the ice, there will be plenty more competitions to come between then and Sunday.

With the new year here, the buildup to the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics has commenced in earnest as well, with multiple sports holding championships over the next few weeks.

For fans of figure skating, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which kick off Monday and continue through Sunday, are appointment television. This year held in Nashville, Tennessee, the competition will showcase beloved disciplines like rhythm dance, pairs short program, ladies' and men's short program, free skate and free dance.

The event crowns champions in the ladies', men's, pairs and ice dance disciplines at the championship and junior levels of U.S. Figure Skating. It is also the last remaining qualifier ahead of the Beijing Games.

Fan favorites Alysa Liu and Nathan Chen and pairs Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue and Madison Chock and Evan Bates will be some of the competitors to keep an eye on over the next week.

Let's break down how you can tune in before previewing the action.

U.S. Figure Skating Championships 2022 Overview

Dates: Monday, Jan. 3-Sunday, Jan. 9

Location: Bridgestone Arena; Nashville, Tennessee

TV: USA Network, NBC

Live Stream: Peacock 

U.S. Figure Skating Championships TV Schedule

Thursday, 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT: Pairs Short Program (USA Network)

Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT: Women's Short Program (USA Network)

Friday, 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT: Ice Dance Rhythm Dance (USA Network)

Friday, 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT/MT): Women's Free Skate (NBC)

Saturday, 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT: Men's Short Program (NBC)

Saturday, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT: Ice Dance Free Dance and Pairs Free Skate (USA Network)

Sunday, 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT: Men's Free Skate (NBC)

Thursday marks the beginning of the U.S. Figure Skating championship weekend.

Junior Pairs Short Program, Junior Men Short Program and Junior Rhythm Dance are scheduled for Tuesday, while Junior Ladies Short Program Free Skates/Dance, Junior Men Free Skate, Junior Pairs Free Skate and Junior Free Dance take place Wednesday.

Though the junior sessions won't be broadcast on NBC or USA Network, spectators can attend. Bridgestone Arena requires all spectators over the age of five to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR or NAAT COVID-19 test taken within the three days prior to entering the building, and all spectators over the age of two must wear masks.

On Monday, there are no in-person or televised events, as the athletes will be practicing. U.S. Figure Skating has canceled athlete autograph sessions and limited access to the secondary practice rink in Bellevue to accredited individuals only to mitigate risk to the athletes.

Chen, Hubbell/Donohue and Chock/Bates are medal contenders in Beijing. Now 16, Liu became the youngest U.S. women's national champion at 13 and is preparing for her first Olympics.

Participating skaters with Olympic experience include Karen Chen, Vincent Zhou, Jason Brown and Alexa Knierim, who now competes in pairs with Brandon Frazier after competing in Pyeongchang with her husband, Chris.

The full U.S. Figure Skating Olympic team will be named by January 10.

The last full day of competition at the 2021 ISU World Figure Skating Championships crowned champions in men's singles and ice dance events.

The men's event kicked off the day, with Nathan Chen from the United States moving up two spots in the free skate to take the gold medal for the third time in his career. The 21-year-old was in third place with a score of 98.85 after the short program Thursday.

There wasn't as much turnover in the pairs ice dancing, as Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov maintained their position atop the standings after the free dance to win gold for the Figure Skating Federation of Russia.

Skating a routine set to Philip Glass music, Chen soared up the leaderboard thanks to landing five quadruple jumps, with three of them coming in combinations. He also executed a triple axel and triple lutz to earn a high score of 222.03 for the program and a 320.88 combined score.

By comparison, no one else even reached a score of 200 in the free skate.

"This is one I'm going to remember forever," Chen told reporters after his win. "It's amazing—the fact that we're able to be at this worlds after this unprecedented year... I'm very elated, I'm very happy. I tried to remind myself to enjoy being here. I don't know how many more worlds I'll be at. In doing that, I was able to be a lot more calm."

Chen has now won gold at each of the last three World Championships dating back to 2018. The event was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He's the first man to win three straight singles titles at the World Championships since Patrick Chan from 2011 to 2013 and the first American to do so since Scott Hamilton did it in four consecutive years from 1982 to 1984.

Japan did win silver and bronze thanks to the dazzling displays from Yuma Kagiyama and Yuzuru Hanyu.

Kagiyama, who was in second place after the short program, stayed in that position following his free-skate routine. The 17-year-old medaled in his first appearance at the World Championships with a combined score of 291.77.

Things didn't go as well for Hanyu, though he still wound up on the medal podium. He previously won gold at the World Championships in 2014 and 2017, and was primed to capture a third after posting a high score of 106.98 in the short program.

Hanyu's routine was thrown off when his hand hit the ice after a quad loop and he stumbled attempting to land his triple axels. The stumbles caused him to receive a 182.20 score, fourth-highest in the free skate.

Even though this wasn't the ending that Hanyu hoped for after starting the day atop the standings, he's still leaving Stockholm with his eighth medal at the World Championships since 2012.

Sinitsina and Katsalapov had a two-point advantage over American pair Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue following the rhythm dance Friday.

The Russian duo also posted the highest score of the free dance (133.02) to finish with a combined total of 221.17.

This marks the second medal—first gold—for Sinitsina and Katsalapov at the World Championships. They won silver two years ago in their first appearance together at this event.

Hubbell and Donohue matched their best finish at the World Championships with a silver medal. The American pair maintained their second-place spot overall despite posting the third-highest score in the free dance.

Their performance was fluid throughout, but their levels didn't rise to the difficulty needed for them to really challenge Sinitsina and Katsalapov for the gold.

Coming into the free dance ranked fourth in the standings, Canada's Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier were the big movers Saturday. They had never finished higher than sixth in seven appearances at the World Championships coming into this year.

Gilles and Poirier posted a career-best score of 130.98 in the free dance, second-best among all teams in the field. That gave them a combined score of 214.35 to reach the podium as the bronze-medal winners.

This marks the fourth medal win for Gilles and Poirier as a duo. Their most recent was a silver medal at the 2020 Four Continents Championship in Seoul.

Saturday's events wrap up the competition schedule from the World Championships. Sunday will officially conclude this year's festivities with an exhibition gala featuring most of the skaters in all disciplines.

Anna Shcherbakova took home the gold medal in the women's singles event at the 2021 ISU World Figure Skating Championship on Friday. 

Representing the Figure Skating Federation of Russia, Shcherbakova had a combined score of 233.17 between the short program on Wednesday and her free skate on Friday. 

"Honestly I really don't know what to say now because after my performance I really tried to do my best and fight for every element," Shcherbakova told reporters after her win. "I'm not satisfied with my performance, but I'm so, so happy that I'm first. It was my goal. It was a real fight for me."

Shcherbakova did have the advantage of going last, so she knew the score to beat before taking the ice. The competition for the top spot before her program was intense. 

Alexandra Trusova, who was in 12th place after the short program with a score of 64.82, finished with the highest score in the free skate (152.38). The 16-year-old did leave points on the ice by falling down twice, but she was able to land three of her five quad attempts to take home the bronze. 

Sandwiched between Shcherbakova and Trusova was Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. The 24-year-old had the third-highest score in the short program (78.86) and free skate (141.60). 

Tuktamysheva's performance on Friday was highlighted by two triple axels. She appeared to be overwhelmed when her score came in, knowing that she was going to be on the medal podium. 

It's been a long road back to the podium for Tuktamysheva. She hasn't competed at the World Championships since winning gold in 2015. The Russian star was the first non-teen to compete in the women's singles event in eight years, per NBC Sports' Olympic Talk.

Each of the top three finishers in the women's singles represented the Figure Skating Federation of Russia. It's the first time the same country has won all three women's singles medals since the United States did it in 1991. 

The Figure Skating Federation of Russia had a very good Friday at the 2021 ISU World Figure Skating Championships.

Anna Shcherbakova capped off a memorable week by winning gold in the women's individual competition. She came into the day in the driver's seat after posting a score of 81.00 in the short program on Wednesday. 

After Elizaveta Tuktamysheva moved into the lead following her run with a combined score of 220.46, Shcherbakova only needed a score of 139.47 in her free skate to take home the title. 

The 16-year-old had no problem hitting that mark. She received a score of 152.17 for her routine for an easy win. 

This marks Shcherbakova's first win in her first appearance at the World Championships. She previously won silver at the junior championships in 2019. 

Rounding out the top three in the women's singles competition were Shcherbakova's fellow countrywomen, Tuktamysheva and Alexandra Trusova. Tuktamysheva, 24, is the veteran of the group. She previously won gold at the 2015 World Championships. 

Before Shcherbakova capped off her masterful showing in Stockholm, Figure Skating Federation of Russian duo Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov are one step away from winning gold in ice dancing.

Sinitsina and Katsalapov received a score of 88.15 points for their rhythm dance.

Chasing Sinitsina and Katsalapov for the top spot are two American teams. Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue are in second place with an 86.05, followed by Madison Chock and Evan Bates in third place with 85.15 points. 

Chock and Bates did leave points on the ice during their routine. They both scored a level three on their twizzles. Chock only got to level three on the pattern steps, while Bates was at a level four. They remain very much in the mix for gold, so it wasn't a devastating blow. But those missed chances could come back to haunt them on Saturday. 

Sinitsina and Katsalapov are chasing their first gold medal at the World Championships. They won silver at the 2019 event behind the France powerhouse duo of Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron. 

Papadakis and Cizeron announced in January they wouldn't participate in the World Championships this year in order to prepare for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, China.

Hubbell and Donohue, who finished third at the 2019 World Championships, are still within shouting distance of the top spot heading into the free dance. 

Hubbell and Donohue's score on Friday is their best in the rhythm dance at the World Championships. Their previous high-water mark was 83.09 in 2019 en route to a bronze medal.  

“We are very proud of ourselves,” Hubbell told reporters. “We were pretty present today and we just really focused on each other coming back to the performance, so we are happy to give that strong performance at the worlds championship.”

The Americans do have their work cut out for them, both because of how cohesive Sinitsina and Katsalapov are dancing right now and the difficulty of trying to make up the points necessary to vault into the lead. 

There hasn't been a pair leading after the rhythm dance section at the World Figure Skating Championships that has failed to win gold since Chock and Bates in 2015. They came in second after Papadakis and Cizeron posted a score of 112.34 in the free dance to jump three spots. 

Saturday's free dance session will determine this year's ice dance champions. The men's singles final will also be decided tomorrow. 

Norwegian Olympic ski jumper Daniel-Andre Tande was placed in a medically induced coma Thursday after crashing during a World Cup event in Slovenia. 

According to the Associated Press, the 27-year-old lost control during a jump and was seen landing awkwardly in the snow before falling down the hillside. A tweet from the International Ski Federation updating Tande's condition noted he received treatment while unconscious before being evacuated off the course; however, he remains in "stable condition." 

The AP noted medics worked with Tande for nearly 30 minutes before he was taken by helicopter to a hospital in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana from the event site in Planica, about 60 miles away.

Norwegian team coach Alexander Stockl told reporters Tande suffered a broken collarbone and would likely be kept in a coma for 24 hours, though both his head and neck appear OK based on preliminary tests. 

Tande arrived in Planica as the reigning champion, having won the gold medal in 2020, 2018 and 2016 along with a gold medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and a 2017 silver medal at the World Championships. He's won seven individual events and 13 team events at the World Cup since 2014 in 178 combined starts.