15-year-old Isabeau Levito wins US women’s title
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Graceful, gutsy and seemingly unfazed by the bright lights, Isabeau Levito decided to go for it in her free skate while reminding herself once more to just stay calm.
The 15-year-old star needed a nearflawless free skate to capture gold at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships after Bradie Tennell’s beautiful performance minutes earlier.
Levito accomplished just that, delivering a dazzling 149.55 score for a 223.33 total to win her first women’s national title Friday.
Two-time U.S. champion Tennell scored a 139.36 in the free skate and finished second with a 213.12 total. She missed the entire 2021-22 season with foot and ankle injuries.
⬤ A long time coming getting back to the top of the podium, Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier held up their shiny medals, smiled and waved once more to an audience left captivated by their sensational skating.
It sure beat watching like last January when Frazier contracted COVID-19 and they had to withdraw from the event. Frazier watched the event quarantined in his hotel room, while a disappointed Knierim closed herself off and stuck close to family.
The dynamic twosome have another national pairs gold with a spectacular free skate Saturday night that scored them an overall season-best 227.97. Skating second-to-last and ahead of eventual silver medalists Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, Knierim
and Frazier performed a breathtaking routine to Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times” for a 146.01 to win by more than 30 points. They recovered from a slight miscue in their planned triple toe loopdouble toe loop-double toe loop combination by going clean the rest of the way and executing all the difficult elements with flair and determination.
⬤ Earlier Saturday, Madison Chock and Evan Bates successfully defended their ice dancing title, scoring 137.85 in the free dance for a top total score of 229.75. The couple has medaled at nationals in every season since 2013.