LAS VEGAS (AP) – Nathan Chen found himself on Saturday in a familiar place on the top step of the podium
The American superstar landed five quadruple jumps across two programs in his first competition in nine months, easily edging Vincent Zhou and the rest of the field to claim his fourth straight Skate America record He has also kept intact a winning streak for Chen that dates back to his fifth place finish at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.
« I’ve made quite a few big mistakes in this program, things I shouldn’t have made any mistakes on, » said Chen, whose soaring personal standards have let him raise his standards. shoulders at his last performance « That’s what it is I’ll learn from it and move on »
The two-time world champion built a big lead in his short program on Friday night before a shaky free skate, where he had to overtake a planned Salchow quad and missed a triple axel But Chen was still enough to win the free skate with 18,798 points and gives him 29,915 overall, while Zhou’s two second-place programs gave him 27,510 and the silver medal
Top-flight pilot Chen, who took time off from his studies at Yale to focus on the Beijing 2022 Games, is on a streak of titles that includes a victory over two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu His last title at Skate America, one of the only Grand Prix events still underway amid the COVID-19 pandemic, matches the record shared by Michelle Kwan, Todd Eldredge and former Olympic ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White
On the women’s side, Mariah Bell edged out 2018 national champion Bradie Tennell to claim arguably the biggest title of her career The 24-year-old fell on a triple lutz to finish her program on Saturday, and her score of 13,625 was only the fourth best in free skates But his short program gave him 21,273 points in total – just 166 points ahead of Tennell, who won the free skating with a solid program that started with a triple axis combination – triple toe
“I try not to look at the results, but rather how I feel,” said Bell “I’m stepping away from that performance a little disappointed, and I’m looking back at the nationals and it’s a program that I was really proud I want to feel really good about what I did «
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, in their first competition together, won pairs Knierim skated with her husband Chris at the 2018 Olympics, but he retired She therefore teamed up with Frazier, who won a US title with former partner Haven Denney
“I think the foundation of our friendship and relationship keeps us comfortable when we skate,” said Knierim “Our greatest strength is our work ethic and our determination”
Two-time national champions Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue won the ice dance competition with an exquisite performance at « Hallelujah » Their 21139 points are worth nearly nine better than Kaitlyn Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker
“It’s everyone’s first major competition this season and we all spent time off the ice,” said Shin, who was making his Grand Prix debut, “but I felt like that during that time I was really focused on what I really love to do, and that is skating And coming back and training I felt more motivated to improve It was my time to play and that was my goal here «
Figure skating, Skate America, Nathan Chen, Mariah Bell, Bradie Tennell, Vincent Zhou, International Skating Union
News from around the world – CA – Chen and Bell win Skate America crowns in Las Vegas
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
