This is one of our two previews of the US National Figure Skating Championships. To read our preview of the men’s event, click here.
It’s a brand new year, and so the second half of the season has more or less already started. We’ll be honest, although the ladies’ top five spots are pretty much locked in, if we base it on how they have all performed so far. However, it’s a matter of asking, who will prevail above everyone else? We have a mix of former national champions and some women who are ready for their first senior national title.
This has been a season of ups and downs for reigning national champion Ashley Wagner. She has managed to pull of brilliant performances at Skate Canada, faltered at NHK Trophy, and was a mix of both at the Grand Prix Final. Blogger Jackie Wong of RockerSkating once asked and we quote, “Which version of Ashley Wagner will we see this time?” As long as she skates like she did at Skate Canada and the free skate of the Grand Prix Final, she should be able to get her fourth national title.
Gracie Gold is probably the heaviest favorite to win this year’s competition. After a silver medal at Skate America and winning the short program at Trophee Eric Bompard, Gracie must have cracked under pressure at the Grand Prix Final. She has a solid technique, yet she tends to skate better when the pressure is off her. Let’s see whether she will succumb to the pressure of getting her title back or if she can skate her way to her second national title.
Karen Chen was last year’s surprise bronze medalist, and we have good reason to believe that she can pull it off again. In her first season as a senior, Karen has shown that she has what it takes to be a top US lady in the future with her big jumps and musicality. However, she tends to be inconsistent on an occasional basis, and we hope this isn’t one of those moments.
Other ladies worth watching are Polina Edmunds, Courtney Hicks, Mirai Nagasu, and Angela Wang. It has been a bit of an up-and-down ride for both Polina Edmunds and Courtney Hicks. Polina has finished in sixth and fourth place at Skate Canada and Rostelecom Cup, while Courtney placed sixth in Cup of China and won her first Grand Prix medal (silver) at NHK Trophy. Meanwhile, Angela and Mirai are showing signs of improvement after staying within Top Five in their Challenger Series assignments and Top 10 in their Grand Prix assignments. If they are flawless, they can possibly play spoiler to the podium.
Some ladies have are still trying to make their mark among the senior ranks such as Hannah Miller, Mariah Bell, and Tyler Pierce.
And now, our predictions!
Good luck to all the skaters!
You Only Lutz Once 