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≡ U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡
The 2026 U.S. Figure Skating National Championships are heading toward their climax in St. Louis, Missouri with the Short Programs for the women’s Singles and Pairs on Wednesday, the men’s Singles and Ice Dance first-day skating on Thursday and then the final sessions on Friday and Saturday.
Always important, these essentially Olympic Trials events are all the more important as American skaters are in the splendid position of having won three World Championships golds at the 2025 World Championships in Boston and then three more at the 2025 International Skating Union’s Grand Prix Final, in each case with the same skaters:
● Men: Ilia Malinin
● Women: Alysia Liu
● Ice Dance: Madison Chock and Evan Bates
In terms of seasonal best scores in international competitions (only) so far, the U.S. has the clear leader for men and Ice Dance, but multiple contenders in the women’s division, but are unlikely medal contenders in Pairs:
Men:
● 1. 333.81, Ilia Malinin
● 11. 257.81, Jason Brown
● 21. 245.71, Tomoki Hiwatashi
Women:
● 3. 222.49, Alysia Liu
● 7. 214.78, Amber Glenn
● 8. 212.71, Isabeau Levito
Pairs:
● 7. 205.49, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov
● 10. 199.11, Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea
● 12. 194.00, Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy
Ice Dance:
● 1. 220.42, Madison Chock and Evan Bates
● 7. 202.27, Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik
● 13. 192.35, Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko
On Wednesday, two-time defending champion Glenn was brilliant, scoring 83.05 – the highest score ever compiled by an American – and more than five points better than the best international score in 2025-26, 78.00 by Japan’s Ami Nakai – but with only a modest lead over Liu, who scored 81.11. Lebeau was third at 75.72 and Sarah Everhardt fourth (71.10).
Glenn’s 83.05 was, of course, a U.S. Nationals record, smashing the 79.40 by Bradie Tennell from 2021. The top three all recorded personal best scores.
In Pairs, defending champions Efimova and Mitrofanov also scored a lifetime best at 75.31 – which would no. 5 on the 2025-26 world list – leading Shin and Nagy (67.67) and Kam and O’Shea were third at 67.13.
Malinin and Chock and Bates are strong favorites to win their events. For Malinin, it would be fourth national title in a row; Chock and Bates have won six American national titles and the last four straight.
The remaining schedule (Central time) and broadcast options (Eastern time: +1 hour):
Thursday, 08 January:
● 4:03 p.m.: Ice Dance ~ Rhythm Dance
● 7:18 p.m.: Men ~ Short Program
Broadcast:
● Live on Peacock
● Delayed on USA Network and Peacock at 5 p.m. Eastern (4 p.m. Central)
Friday, 09 January:
● 2:03 p.m.: Pairs ~ Free Skate
● 2:44 p.m.: Women ~ Free Skate
Broadcast:
● Live on Peacock
● Delayed on NBC and Peacock at 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. Central)
● Replay on Saturday on NBC, USA Network and Peacock at 6 p.m. Eastern
Saturday, 10 January:
● 2:28 p.m.: Ice Dance ~ Free Dance
● 3:30 p.m.: Men ~ Free Skate
Broadcast:
● Live on Peacock
● Delayed on NBC and Peacock at 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. Central)
The U.S. Championships is not a “trials” in the strict sense, as U.S. Figure Skating will select its team, rather than simply picking the top finishers. NBC and Peacock will have a “Making Team USA” special on Sunday at 2 p.m. Eastern time to actually name its Milan Cortina squad.
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