Bay Area’s Olympic skating contenders performing at SAP
SAN JOSE >> A figure skating season that will culminate with the 2018 Winter Games begins Sunday with the Bay Area’s three Olympic contenders showcased in the Golden Moment exhibition at the SAP Center.
U.S. champion Karen Chen of Fremont, 2014 Olympian Polina Edmunds of San Jose and 2017 American silver medalist Vincent Zhou of Palo Alto will star in the show that begins at 3:30 p.m.
Barring unforeseen injuries, the talented trio will return to SAP Center the first week of January for the U.S. championships, where the Olympic team will be announced.
The Pyeongchang Games in South Korea are scheduled Feb. 9-25 next year.
The Bay Area skaters are performing for Kristi Yamaguchi’s fundraising event for her Always Dream Foundation that promotes early childhood literacy.
The show has special meaning for the children’s author Yamaguchi, who 25 years ago came out of Fremont to win the 1992 Olympic gold medal. The event also features 1988 Olympic champion Brian Boitano, who grew up in the South Bay and now lives in San Francisco.
Boitano and Yamaguchi’s appearances offer the connection between the region’s ice skating past glory and future promise. Chen, Edmunds and Zhou are performing before starting the intense Grand Prix season where they will begin to build reputations they hope leads to Korea.
The show Sunday also features Mirai Nagasu, a 2010 Olympian who was fourth at the U.S. championships this year. Nagasu hopes to challenge for one of the three Olympic berths with Chen and Edmunds. They all will be competing against 2014 Olympians Ashley Wagner and Gracie Gold, but women’s singles do not have a clear-cut favorite heading into the season.
Also performing in the show are Ekaterina Gordeeva, two-time Olympic pairs winner, defending U.S. ice dance champions Alex and Maia Shibutani, Olympian Jeremy Abbott, Ryan Bradley and 1994 world champion Yuka Sato of Japan.
Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865.