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2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships
Figure skating competition From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships were held from January 20 to 26, 2025, at the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas.[1] Medals were awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance at the senior and junior levels. The results were part of the U.S. selection criteria for the 2025 Four Continents Championships, 2025 World Championships, and 2025 World Junior Championships.
At the senior level, Ilia Malinin won the men's event, Amber Glenn won the women's event, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov won the pairs event, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates won the ice dance event. At the junior level, Lorenzo Elano won the men's event, Sophie Jolie Von Felton won the women's event, Reagan Moss and Jakub Galbavy won the pairs event, and Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin won the ice dance event.
Three days after the competition, American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a helicopter upon approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, and plunged into the Potomac River. All aboard were killed, including twenty-eight skaters, coaches, and family members returning from the 2025 U.S Championships.
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Qualification
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Skaters qualified for the U.S. Championships by either having a bye or by competing at the Pacific Coast Sectional Finals, Eastern Sectional Finals, Midwestern Sectional Finals, U.S. Ice Dance Finals, or U.S. Pairs Finals.[2]
Senior-level skaters were eligible for a bye if they met any of the following criteria:
- Placing in the top five at the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships
- Selection to the 2024 World Championship team
- Winning a medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- Qualifying for the same event at the Grand Prix Final or the Junior Grand Prix Final
- Competing at three international assignments classified as an ISU Grand Prix, ISU Junior Grand Prix, or ISU Challenger Series event
Junior-level skaters were eligible for a bye if they met any of the following criteria:
- Qualifying for the same event at the Junior Grand Prix Final
- Competing at three international assignments classified as an ISU Junior Grand Prix or ISU Challenger Series event
After accounting for all byes, the top placements from the Singles Sectionals, U.S. Pairs Finals, or U.S. Ice Dance Finals were then assigned until the maximum number of competitors for each event (eighteen in men's singles, eighteen in women's singles, twelve in pairs, and fifteen in ice dance) was met.[3]
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Changes to preliminary assignments
U.S. Figure Skating published the official list of preliminary entries on November 25, 2024.[4]
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Required performance elements
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Single skating
Men and women competing in single skating first performed a short program. Junior men performed their short programs on Tuesday, January 21, while junior women performed theirs on Wednesday, January 22. Senior women performed their short programs on Thursday, January 23, while senior men performed theirs on Saturday, January 25.[1] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,[11] the short program had to include the following elements:
For junior men: one double or triple Axel; one double or triple flip; one jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump or two triple jumps; one flying camel spin; one sit spin with a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[12]
For senior men: one double or triple Axel; one triple or quadruple jump; one jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump, two triple jumps, or a quadruple jump and a double jump or triple jump; one flying spin; one camel spin or sit spin with a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[13]
For junior women: one double Axel; one double or triple flip; one jump combination consisting of two double jumps, one double jump and one triple jump, or two triple jumps; one flying camel spin; one layback spin, sideways leaning spin, or sit spin without a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and one step sequence using the full ice surface.[12]
For senior women: one double or triple Axel; one triple jump; one jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump, or two triple jumps; one flying spin; one layback spin, sideways leaning spin, camel spin, or sit spin without a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and one step sequence using the full ice surface.[13]
Men and women in single skating finished their competition with the free skating segment. Junior men performed their free skates on Wednesday, January 22, while junior women performed theirs on Thursday, January 23. Senior women performed their free skates on Friday, January 24, while senior men performed theirs on Sunday, January 26.[1] The free skate for both men and women could last no more than 4 minutes,[11] and had to include the following:
For junior men and women: seven jump elements, of which one had to be an Axel-type jump; three spins, of which one had to be a spin combination, one had to be a flying spin, and one had to be a spin with only one position; and a choreographic sequence.[14]
For senior men and women: seven jump elements, of which one had to be an Axel-type jump; three spins, of which one had to be a spin combination, one had to be a flying spin, and one had to be a spin with only one position; a step sequence; and a choreographic sequence.[15]
Pair skating
Couples competing in pair skating also first performed a short program. Junior pair teams performed their short program on Tuesday, January 21, while senior teams on Thursday, January 23.[1] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,[16] it had to include the following elements:
For junior couples: one hand-to-hand pair lift, one double or triple twist lift, one double or triple Salchow throw jump, one double flip or double Axel solo jump, one solo spin combination with a change of foot, one death spiral, and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[17]
For senior couples: one hand-to-hand pair lift, one double or triple twist lift, one double or triple throw jump, one double or triple solo jump, one solo spin combination with a change of foot, one death spiral, and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[18]
Couples performed their free skates on Saturday, January 25.[1] The free skate could last no more than 4 minutes,[19] and had to include the following:
For junior couples: two pair lifts, one twist lift, two different throw jumps, one solo jump, one jump combination or sequence, one pair spin combination, one death spiral, and a choreographic sequence.[20]
For senior couples: three pair lifts, one twist lift, two different throw jumps, one solo jump, one jump combination or sequence, one pair spin combination, one death spiral, and a choreographic sequence.[20]
Ice dance
Couples competing in ice dance first performed a rhythm dance. Junior ice dance teams performed their rhythm dances on Tuesday, January 21, while senior teams on Friday, January 24.[1] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 50 seconds,[21] the theme of the rhythm dance this season was "social dances and styles of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s". Examples of applicable dance styles included, but were not limited to: Rock and Roll, the jitterbug, the twist, the Hustle, and disco.[22] The rhythm dance had to include the following elements:
For junior couples: two sequences of the paso doble, one dance lift, one set of sequential twizzles, and one step sequence not touching.[22]
For senior couples: one pattern dance step sequence, one choreographic rhythm sequence, one dance lift, one set of sequential twizzles, and one step sequence not touching.[22]
Couples performed their free dances on Saturday, January 25.[1] The free dance could last no longer than 3 minutes 30 seconds for juniors, or 4 minutes for seniors,[21] and had to include the following:
For junior couples: two dance lifts or one combination lift, one dance spin, one set of synchronized twizzles, one step sequence in hold, one step sequence while on one skate and not touching, and two choreographic elements.[22]
For senior couples: three dance lifts or one dance lift and one combination lift, one dance spin, one set of synchronized twizzles, one step sequence in hold, one step sequence while on one skate and not touching, and three choreographic elements.[22]
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Judging
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For the 2024–2025 season, all of the technical elements in any figure skating performance – such as jumps, spins, and lifts – were assigned a predetermined base point value and were then scored by a panel of nine judges on a scale from -5 to 5 based on their quality of execution. The judging panel's Grade of Execution (GOE) was determined by calculating the trimmed mean (that is, an average after deleting the highest and lowest scores), and this GOE was added to the base value to come up with the final score for each element. The panel's scores for all elements were added together to generate a total element score. At the same time, judges evaluated each performance based on three program components – composition, presentation, and skating skills – and assigned a score from .25 to 10 in .25 point increments. The judging panel's final score for each program component was also determined by calculating the trimmed mean. Those scores were then multiplied by the factor shown on the following chart; the results were added together to generate a total program component score.[23]
Deductions were applied for certain violations like time infractions, stops and restarts, or falls. The total element score and total program component score were added together, minus any deductions, to generate a final performance score for each skater or team.[23]
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Medal summary
The 2025 U.S. champions: Ilia Malinin (men's singles); Madison Chock and Evan Bates (ice dance); Amber Glenn (women's singles); and Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov (pair skating)
Senior medalists
Junior medalists
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Senior results
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Men's singles
Ilia Malinin successfully landed a record six quadruple jumps during his free skate, but fell on his quadruple loop. He finished with an overall score 46.82 points higher than silver medalist Andrew Torgashev. Only Nathan Chen has won a U.S. Championship title by a greater margin, a feat which he accomplished twice. "It wasn't the perfect program that I exactly wanted," Malinin said in an interview. "One of the things I would say is maybe that I'm still not at my full potential yet, and that there's a lot bigger of a limit that I can go for."[26]
Andrew Torgashev won the silver medalist after two excellent performances. "It is for sure validating whenever you're on the podium," Torgashev stated afterward. "It definitely gives motivation to keep training and keep pushing on." Camden Pulkinen won the bronze medal for the second year in a row. "I'm just really happy I was able to deliver here," Pulkinen said. "Standing on the podium for the second time is super validating."[27]
Maxim Naumov had been in seventh place after the short program, but rallied back with a spectacular free skate to finish in fourth place, winning the pewter medal.[27] His parents, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, died three days later in the crash of American Airlines Flight 5342.[28]
Women's singles
Amber Glenn defeated silver medalist Alysa Liu by a margin of just 1.46 points, which was the second-narrowest victory in the history of the women's event. Only Kimmie Meissner won a women's championship title by a narrower margin, when she defeated Emily Hughes by .82 points in 2007. Glenn had been in third place after the short program, trailing Liu by over 5 points, but rallied back in the free skate with a performance that included the only triple Axel of the event.[30] Alysa Liu had retired from competitive skating after the 2022 Winter Olympics, but returned after two and half years when she realized she missed skating.[31] Her last appearance at the U.S. Championships had been in 2022, when she was forced to withdraw mid-competition after testing positive for COVID-19.[32]
Pairs
Reigning champions Ellie Kam and Daniel O'Shea, who led in the pairs event after their short program, finished in third place after a series of mistakes in their free skate, which included a fall for both skaters on their final lift.[34] Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov ended up winning the competition, rallying back from third place with a new personal best in the free skate. Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman also scored a new personal best in the free skate to win the silver medals. "I've been close, just off the podium twice," Parkman stated in an interview. "I was fifth once [with Nathan Bartholomay] and last year with Daniil, so this will be my first medal and I'm so happy we get to share it."[35]
Ice dance
Madison Chock and Evan Bates won their sixth championship title in ice dance, tying the record held by Meryl Davis and Charlie White. Describing how Davis and White served as inspirations for them, Bates stated: "They were the ones who showed us what it takes to become the best team in the world, how hard they trained on the ice, how dedicated they were off the ice, how graceful they were."[37] Chock and Bates scored nearly 13 points more than silver medalists Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko. Carreira and Ponomarenko won the silver medals for the second year in a row. "This dance field is so strong, and we are proud to be on podium and to be part of the competition," Carreira stated afterward. Caroline Green and Michael Parsons finished in third place.[35]
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Junior results
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Men's singles
Despite finishing second in both the short program and free skate, Lorenzo Elano ended up winning the gold medal. His free skate featured six triple jumps, of which four were in combination. "Honestly, coming off the ice, I wasn't sure about how my score was going to be," Elano stated. "So I'm happy with the outcome."[39] Aleksandr Fegan, who won the bronze medal in the junior men's event in 2024, won the silver medal after delivering a free skate performance that included seven triple jumps and a challenging triple loop-double Axel-double loop jump sequence.[39] Patrick Blackwell finished in first place after the short program with a new personal best score. "It was such an improvement from the Junior Grand Prix events [earlier in the season]," Blackwell stated after the short program.[40] However, he fell four times during the free skate, finishing in third place.[39]
Women's singles
Sophie Joline Von Felten, who was in seventh place after the short program, delivered a stunning free skate to win the junior women's title. In the process, she also became the first American woman to successfully perform a quadruple Salchow in competition. "I love to make history," Von Felten stated. "No one had ever landed a quad Salchow at nationals." Von Felten had made history the year before when she became the first junior-level woman to successfully land a triple Axel in competition.[42] Skylar Lautowa-Peguero finished in second place after successfully performing seven triple jumps in her free skate. After the competition, Lautowa-Peguero stated: "I skated two clean programs at nationals, and I feel excited to keep going and have more opportunities in the future."[42] Jessica Jurka also performed seven triple jumps in her free skate, and finished in third place.[42]
Pair skating
Reagan Moss and Jakub Galbavy led after the short program, 0.11 points ahead of reigning champions Olivia Flores and Luke Wang. "We honestly have been training super well in terms of our short program and felt confident coming in here, so not what we hoped for," Wang said in an interview after the short program.[40] Moss and Galbavy outscored their previous personal best by over 25 points to win the gold medals. Saya Carpenter and Jon Maravilla also scored new personal bests in both the free skate and overall total to win the bronze medals.[39]
Ice dance
Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin, who had been skating together for a little over a year, won the junior ice dance title. "It was one of my favorite skates," Aboian stated. "I'm proud of how we skated."[39] Siblings Elliana and Ethan Peal scored a new total score personal best of 153 points to win the silver medals. "Part of the sport is getting judged on your performance, but we touched a lot of people's hearts with this performance, and we are really proud of that," Ethan Peal stated after their performance.[39] Siblings Caroline and Brendan Mullen also scored a new personal best in the free dance to finish in third place.[39]
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International team selections
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World Championships
U.S. Figure Skating announced their representatives to the 2025 World Championships on January 25 and 26, 2025. The World Championships were held from March 25 to 30 in Boston, Massachusetts.[46] American skaters won gold medals in three of the four events: Ilia Malinin in the men's event, Alysa Liu in the women's event, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates in the ice dance event.[47]
Four Continents Championships
U.S. Figure Skating announced their representatives to the 2025 Four Continents Championships on January 25 and 26, 2025. Amber Glenn withdrew from the competition on January 25; she was replaced by Bradie Tennell. Andrew Torgashev withdrew from the competition on January 29; Jimmy Ma was named as his replacement.[52] Maxim Naumov withdrew from the competition after the death of his parents; his spot was assumed by Tomoki Hiwatashi.[53] The Four Continents Championships were held from February 19 to 23 in Seoul, South Korea.[54] Jimmy Ma won the bronze medal at the event.[55]
World Junior Championships
U.S. Figure Skating announced their representatives to the 2025 World Junior Championships on January 25 and 26, 2025. The World Junior Championships were held from February 26 to March 1 in Debrecen, Hungary.[56] Katarina Wolfkostin and Dimitry Tsarevski won silver medals in the ice dance event, while Elyce Lin-Gracey won the bronze medal in the women's event.[57]
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Crash of American Airlines Flight 5342
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On January 29, 2025, three days after the competition, American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Army helicopter upon approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, and plunged into the Potomac River. All sixty-four passengers and crew members aboard the flight were killed, including twenty-eight skaters, coaches, and family members who were returning from a national development camp, which had been held after the 2025 U.S. Championships.[58] Among the fatalities were Inna Volyanskaya, who had competed in pair skating for the Soviet Union and was working as a coach in Ashburn, Virginia;[59] Alexandr Kirsanov, who had competed in ice dance for Russia, Azerbaijan, and the United States;[60] and Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who had competed in pair skating for the Soviet Union and Russia, and had won the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships.[61] They were also the parents of Maxim Naumov, who competed in men's singles and had just won the pewter medal at the 2025 U.S. Championships.[28]
"Once again, Maxim made us all proud, getting on to the podium at Nationals after 7th place in the short. This beautiful and emotional performance is a result of a team work. Huge thanks to Serhii and Irina Vaypan and of course to Adam Blake for his wonderful choreography of a classic! Maxim has earned his place in the team of 4 Continents."
The twenty-eight skaters lost in the crash represented several skating clubs, including the Skating Club of Boston,[63] the Skating Club of Northern Virginia,[64] the Washington Figure Skating Club,[65] the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club,[66] and the ION Figure Skating Club.[67]
On March 2, 2025, a tribute event – Legacy on Ice – was held at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., and served to raise funds for the U.S. Figure Skating Family Support Fund, Greater Washington Community Foundation's "DCA Together Relief Fund", and the DC Fire & EMS Foundation. The event was hosted by Brian Boitano, and featured performances and guest appearances from numerous current and retired skaters, including Ilia Malinin, Amber Glenn, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, Alysa Liu, Tara Lipinski, Kristi Yamaguchi, Scott Hamilton, and Johnny Weir, as well as members of local skating clubs and the Skating Club of Boston.[68]
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See also
References
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External links
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