Amber Glenn makes personal and social history despite flawed performance

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Amber Glenn makes personal and social history despite flawed performance

COLUMBUS, Ohio — When eventual winner Amber Glenn finished her free skate, she was crestfallen, her head bowed, her eyes downcast as she kneeled on the ice.

When defending champion Isabeau Levito finished her free skate a few minutes later, she was despondent, her hands covering her face as she kneeled on the ice.

Rarely has a national championship had such a deflating ending, even if Glenn’s triumph after years of struggles deserves to be celebrated.

“It wasn’t exactly how I wanted to get my first national title,” Glenn said. “It was a mix of being extremely grateful for the results but also knowing I can do so much better.”

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Glenn wins fans, Levito judges in nationals short program

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Glenn wins fans, Levito judges in nationals short program

COLUMBUS, Ohio – There was no doubt who won the building.

But it was a bit surprising the judges didn’t agree with the crowd’s assessment of Amber Glenn, who earned a standing ovation for her high-energy short program Thursday night at the Prevagen U.S. Championships.

Despite a notable mistake on her final spin and unimpressive execution of another, defending champion Isabeau Levito managed first place (75.38 points) over Glenn (74.98). Both were comfortably ahead of third place Clare Seo (67.41).

Glenn’s fiery command of clean skating led to her best short program finish in nine appearances at senior nationals. Her previous best had been fourth, even though she had skated well in several others.

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Ilia Malinin’s first U.S. figure skating title came with rare ambition - and struggles

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Ilia Malinin’s first U.S. figure skating title came with rare ambition - and struggles

SAN JOSE, California – Ilia Malinin clearly will have mixed emotions when he remembers winning his first U.S. figure skating title.

That was apparent from his reaction after finishing Sunday’s free skate.

The 18-year-old with limitless potential and seemingly limitless confidence had been rattled by his worst free skate of the season.

He shook his head sadly. Then he shook it again.

“Of course, this wasn’t the skate I wanted, but there’s always ups and downs, and you just after get over it and move on,” Malinin said.

He planned the hardest technical program anyone ever had attempted, with six quadruple jumps and two challenging combinations in the second half of the four-minute program. And he gamely kept trying to execute it, even after significant mistakes that would leave him second to surprising Andrew Torgashev in the free skate.

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Futures unclear for top U.S. pairs and dance teams after clear-cut wins at figure skating nationals

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Futures unclear for top U.S. pairs and dance teams after clear-cut wins at figure skating nationals

SAN JOSE, California – They have both begun the new Olympic cycle as the undisputed national leaders in their figure skating disciplines, cementing that status with U.S. titles Saturday – the fourth for ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the second for the pairs’ team of Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier.

At this point, their respective paths to the 2026 Winter Games seem free and clear of challengers.

The question for the dancers and the pair is how far down that road they intend to go.

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As Ilia Malinin ponders quintuple jump, figure skating may face an urgent matter

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As Ilia Malinin ponders quintuple jump, figure skating may face an urgent matter

SAN JOSE, California – The subject of a five-revolution jump was sure to come up, now that Ilia Malinin has become the first person to land a fully rotated quadruple Axel, which has four and one-half revolutions in the air.

And, in Malinin’s case, to land it cleanly not only once but three times this fall, the most recent with stunning command at December’s Grand Prix Final.

Rafael Arutunian, who coaches Malinin intermittently, said via telephone that he and the skater talked about a quintuple when they were working together in California during the high school senior’s recent holiday break.

“I was basically saying a five-revolution toe loop can be done,” Arutunian said. “He agreed and was smiling.”

“It is definitely in the back of my mind right now,” Malinin, 18, said in media conference call last week. “It’s very hard to think of it at this moment because it’s still pretty much the middle of the middle of the season. I think after the season I’ll think about it, and maybe we will see one.”

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