Chen captures fifth straight US title
LAS VEGAS – Even with an error at the beginning of his free skate, Nathan Chen was unbeatable Sunday, winning his fifth straight U.S. Figure Skating Championship.
Not since Dick Button won each title from 1946-52 has any American man had such a streak of success.
Throw in two world championships and being unbeaten since not medaling at the 2018 Olympics, and Chen already has a resume for the ages.
At age 21.
“It’s incredible to try to follow in his footsteps,” Chen said of Button, a twotime Olympic winner.
Chen pretty much ignored the rough beginning of his free skate, when he put his hands down and stepped out of a quad lutz.
He hit four more quads, three in combination, and a triple axel deep into his program. There was a fluidity to his choreography and spins, and his 322.28 points were unmatchable by anybody in the field.
“I was a little timid today. Honestly that’s on me,” Chen said. “I feel like I didn’t really tackle my elements. I was focusing on conserving energy. That’s not the right approach. I think that’s what caused the first element to have an error. The rest of the program I was trying to make sure I stayed on my feet. That was my mindset throughout the program.
“Wasn’t really exactly the skate I’d like to have, but at least I was able to stand up on all the rest of the jumps and I guess move on from here.”
His main challengers couldn’t stand up throughout their free skates, and Vincent Zhou’s 291.38 total wasn’t in the same stratosphere as Chen.
Zhou popped a quad flip and fell on a quad lutz, but the 2018 Olympian still held on to second place.
Jason Brown, the final competitor at these fan-less nationals at the Orleans Arena – they were moved from San Jose, California, due to the COVID-19 pandemic – stayed in third place at 276.92 points.
Chen fell all over the ice in the short program at the Pyeongchang Games, then was spectacular in winning the free skate to begin what now is nearly three years of being on the top step of the medals podium. He won the 2018 worlds – two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu was injured and skipped them – and then took worlds again in 2019.
But the coronavirus pandemic caused cancellation of last year’s worlds in Montreal, as well as this season’s Grand Prix final. So only at Skate America in October was Chen able to strut his stuff.
So it’s understandable and excusable if he wasn’t at his peak Sunday. And really no matter, too.
“Super thrilled with the results,” he said.
Pairs
Alexa Knierim and her new partner, Brandon Frazier, won pairs on Saturday night in their first nationals as a team. Ice dance went to Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue for the third time.
Knierim rarely if ever put forth such a powerful performance skating with her now-retired husband Chris, a native of Tucson – and they won three national titles and an Olympic team bronze together.
The way she meshed with Frazier, a native of Phoenix who won a national championship himself with Haven Denney in 2017, was particularly noteworthy.
“This is so special,” Knierim said. “Of course every time you win a national championship it means something different to you. This one was extra special because it wasn’t something we expected when we first teamed up. I am kind of speechless. I’m still soaking it in.”
Ice dance
Hubbell and Donohue won their third national championship with a mesmerizingly intricate routine to “Hallelujah.” They edged defending champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who had barely beaten them in the rhythm dance. It was that close, too: 224.56 points to 222.93.