US Figure Skating Championships: Tennell, Nagasu, Chen named to Olympic team

Bradie Tennell, Mirai Nagasu and Karen Chen were named to the 2018 U.S. Olympic team in a live announcement on the TODAY show Saturday morning.

Tennell, Nagasu and Chen finished 1-2-3 in the ladies competition Friday night at the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, California.

The team was determined by the U.S. Figure Skating International Committee Management Subcommittee (ICMS) using a specified list of criteria, the most important of which was a skater's finish at the 2018 U.S. Championships, 2017 Grand Prix Final (no U.S. lady qualified for the event) and 2017 World Figure Skating Championships.

While Tennell and Nagasu appeared to be locks to make the team -- they finished 21 and 15 points ahead of Chen, respectively, in San Jose -- there was some question over whether Chen would. She beat fourth-place finisher Ashley Wagner, who has a more impressive career résumé than Chen, by only 2.4 points, and Wagner defeated Chen in the free skate (130.25 to 129.11) at the U.S. championships. But Chen's third-place finish Friday, coupled with her fourth-place showing at 2017 worlds (where Wager placed seventh), were enough to convince the ICMS to put her on the team.

Read more: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2018/01/06/264355976


Shibutanis take lead with electrifying short dance

Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani lit up San Jose's SAP Center on Friday with an intoxicating Latin short dance to Perez Prado rhythms that coursed through the crowd like a jolt of espresso, mixed with a dash of rum.

Exhilarating from start to finish, the routine exploded midway through with an intricate four-part twizzle sequence, its 20 revolutions executed in perfect time to Prado's "Mambo No. 8" countdown. That, plus the event's highest program component scores, helped give the two-time reigning U.S. champions a solid three-point lead heading into Sunday's free dance.

"We are always trying to push the boundaries," Alex said of the high-risk maneuver. "Obviously, we are only required to do four rotations per set for twizzles. We thought it would be clever and fun and entertaining for ourselves and the audience throughout this season."

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The Shibutanis' longtime rivals, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates, also had strong efforts. Hubbell and Donohue, third in the U.S. the past three seasons, sit second with 79.10 points, while reigning silver medalists Chock and Bates are third with 77.61 points.

Read more: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2018/01/05/264344288/shibutanis-take-lead-with-electrifying-short-dance