Glenn wins U.S. figure skating title after Levito falls 3 times

Amber Glenn thought she’d thrown away her chances of winning her long-sought U.S. figure skating title when, after landing a dramatic opening triple axel Friday

night, the 24-year-old from Texas fell apart over the second half of her program.

Then she watched Isabeau Levito collapse right behind her.

The defending champion fell three times during her own free skate, drawing an audible gasp from a rapt crowd in Columbus, Ohio. And when Levito’s score was read, Glenn’s tears of anguish turned to tears of joy. Her score of 210.46 points was enough to crown her the nation’s best for the first time, a full decade after she reigned as the U.S. junior champion.

Levito finished with 200.68 points, falling to third behind Josephine Lee, whose winning free skate gave her the silver medal.

In the men’s event earlier Friday, Ilia Malinin made one of the toughest combinations in skating look easy and was rewarded with 108.57 points, giving him the biggest lead after a short program under the current scoring system in nationals history.

The 19-year-old Grand Prix Final champion, performing his “Malagueña” program, opened with an effortless quad toe loop, then landed the quad lutz-triple toe combo, before making a triple axel look like a skip across the ice.

Max Naumov, the 2020 junior national champion, was a distant but surprising second after his opening quad salchow made up for a problem on his triple axel. He received 89.72 points in his quest for a podium spot after finishing fourth last year.

The national championships continue Saturday with the pairs free skate and the free dance.