Bradie Tennell pulls out of U.S. figure skating nationals: "The hardest decision of my life"

Bradie Tennell has withdrawn from the 2022 U.S. figure skating nationals because of a persistent foot injury.

The reigning national champ and Olympic team bronze medallist was aiming to secure her spot at the Beijing 2022 Olympics but on 31 December announced on her social media that she would not take part.

"This morning I made the hardest decision of my life to withdraw from Nationals due to my ongoing foot injury," she wrote.

"I don’t really know how to put into words what I’m feeling right now. I normally try to keep things light, but this hurts. I don’t like to give up when things get hard, but time has not been my friend this year and now it’s run out."

Tennell picked up the foot injury in July and has had a stop-start return, often skating through the pain.

In February she told the Olympic Channel Podcast that COVID had allowed her to rest: “quarantine really allowed me to take a breath,” she said, but the injury continued to recur.

"These past six months, I’ve been consistently on and off the ice as we’ve worked to identify and address exactly what is wrong with my foot. I have seen expert doctors across the country in California, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Portland, Chicago, and Boston," she continues in her 31st December post.

"I changed boot companies to try to alleviate some of the pain. I’ve tried many different treatments, some of which worked for a little bit, some of which didn’t work at all.

"As summer turned to fall and then fall to winter, I refused to give up. I thought if I kept pushing, I’d be able to overcome the pain enough to consistently be on the ice, training in the sport I love. And though I have done everything in my power to try to be ready for Nationals, I have to listen to what my body is telling me and accept that I won’t be able to compete next week.

"I will keep working to get healthy, and I wish everyone the absolute BEST of luck next week. I will be cheering my hardest for ALL of Team USA as they head to Beijing."

In a comment to her Instagram post Tennell thanked her mum, her choreographer Benoit Richaud and her coach Tom Zakrajsek for their support and added:

The 23-year-old was the USA's highest finishing figure skater at the PyeongChang 2018 Games where she came ninth, ahead of Mirai Nagasu in tenth and Karen Chen 11th.

With Olympic qualification through the nationals now off the table, Tennell will have to petition for a spot if she is to skate in Beijing.

Two-time U.S. champion Alysa Liu, 2018 Olympian Karen Chen and national silver medallists Mariah Bell and Amber Glenn are among the contenders for the three Olympic spots.

The 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships will be held from 3-9 January, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee.

The nationals serve as the final qualifying competition prior to U.S. Figure Skating nominating athletes to the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team