What to Watch: 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships

As the first month of 2025 draws towards a close, several top-level U.S. figure skaters will take to the ice to compete in the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. Over 180 skaters nationwide have qualified for the event via sectional competitions, or automatic (bye) bids earned from other performances. Some may be familiar to fans of the sport, while others are looking for their signature moment en route to qualifying for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Below are a few things to take note of before the event, which will take place from Jan. 20-26:

Perhaps the best story to emerge during the 2024-25 Grand Prix season is the renaissance of veteran U.S. skater, Amber Glenn. The resilient skater has faced numerous setbacks in her decade-long career. However, she knew she could still compete at the highest level of figure skating. This year, she proved it.

At the Texas native’s first Grand Prix event of the season, Glenn executed a flawless triple axel during her short program. The jump, which is known to be one of the most difficult jumps to complete, helped boost her total score to 78.14. It now stands as the highest score ever earned in a short program by an American woman. Despite a few hiccups in the free program, she still won the overall title and became the oldest American woman to win a Grand Prix title for the first time.

Glenn’s spectacular season didn’t end there. She claimed another overall Grand Prix title at her second event, the Cup of China, behind a personal best free skate score. The routine included eight completed jumps, including a triple axel. The victory qualified her for the Grand Prix Final.

Despite the added pressure of the Grand Prix Final, Glenn posted the highest short program and free skate scores to cruise to her first-ever Grand Prix Final win. Her Grand Prix Final title is the first for a U.S. skater since 2010 when Alissa Czisny took home the top award.

"It has been a whirlwind of a season,” Glenn said after the final. “I kind of struggled with this imposter syndrome. Oh, no, no, I’m not winning, that’s not me. I’m just happy my hard work is finally showing."

It’s one thing to have a nickname that implies they are the only figure skater that can complete a quadruple axel in a senior-level international competition. It’s another thing to show that they’ve earned it. Luckily, 20-year-old Ilia Malinin has done both.

Just as Amber Glenn did on the women’s side, Malinin completed an undefeated Grand Prix season, picking up wins at 2024 Skate America, 2024 Skate Canada International, and the Grand Prix Final. He became the first men’s skater to sweep Skate America and Skate Canada during the same season in 25 years.

During his Grand Prix final free skate, Malinin attempted seven jumps with four rotations (quads). He fell unexpectedly on one of his two quad lutz attempts. However, all other quad jumps were successful, including a quadruple axel, propelling him to the victory and another historic moment. With his routine, Malinin became the first figure skater to land all six types of quad jumps – the flip, Axel, loop, Lutz, toe loop, and Salchow – in a single program.

"I think going into Grand Prix Final, I wanted to challenge myself with my technical ability as well as try to incorporate the artistry that I've been working through the past few seasons to really perfect," Malinin said to media members after the event. "It was a challenge for me to want to come out and try to put everything into one program and see how it goes."

Malinin also has completed a backflip in competition this season and could potentially could insert it back into his program for the U.S. championships.

A sixth career medal at the Grand Prix Final in December put the ice dancing pair of Madison Chock and Evan Bates in the history books once again. Their gold-winning performance ties Meryl Davis and Charlie White, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, and Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat for the most ice dance medals at the event. This is the duo’s second consecutive Grand Prix Final gold medal, becoming the first ice dancers to achieve this feat since Kaitlin Weaver and Andrew Poje won back-to-back golds in 2014 and 2015.

"It's incredible to hear those kinds of stats. We just love skating," Bates said after the event. "We have been passionate about skating with one another, dancing with one another throughout the years. That has always been the motivation for us. As long as we're healthy and we're still motivated and we still have the passion, we want to continue."

The newlyweds will be looking to win a fourth consecutive gold medal at the U.S. Championships and sixth overall. The last time the duo finished off the podium was in their first appearance at the U.S. Championships together during the 2011-2012 season.

• The pairs title will be the most tightly contested, with 2024 U.S. champions Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea appearing to be the frontrunners. However, don’t discount Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, who have the talent to take home the win.
• Women’s singles veteran Bradie Tennell could dethrone Amber Glenn. Aside from having to withdraw due to injury last year, Tennell has not finished off the podium at a U.S. Championships since the 2016-17 season. The Illinois native last took home the title during the 2020-21 season.
• Jacob Sanchez will be a dark horse athlete to watch. A silver medalist in the team event at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games, Sanchez picked up his first senior international win in his debut at the 2024 Tallinn Trophy on the ISU Challenger Series. Sanchez could surprise a few skaters while competing on home soil.

Brendan Rourke is a Digital Media Assistant for the USOPC. Previously, he spent three seasons writing for the NBA's Indiana Pacers (2018-2021) and holds a Bachelor's from UCF and a Master's from IU-Indy's Sports Capital Journalism Program.