2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships: Isabeau Levito in the lead after the short program with Amber Glenn less than a point behind

After the first day of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Isabeau Levito leads the women’s division after the short program. The U.S. is deciding who will go to world championships in Montreal in March at these championships.

Reigning U.S. champion Levito scored a 75.38, landing her in first place for the short program. She changed up her short program for the event because the "Snake" skate she was doing didn't quite feel right for her.

"With my snake program, I felt like there was so much potential with it., and I wasn’t happy with the way I was performing it, so I wanted to go in a different direction for this event, and give myself more time to perfect the snake," Levito said.

But she will need to have a strong skate in the free program to win another U.S. title because she has another skater hot on her heels.

Amber Glenn, who was on the U.S. world championships team in 2023, brought the crowd to their feet with a rollicking short program to “Heads Will Roll” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. She scored a 74.98 to end up in second place, less than a point behind Levito. Glenn landed a triple Axel at Skate America earlier this season, and can put up big scores. Glenn talked afterwards about the joy she felt on the ice while performing in Columbus.

"I’m at a point in my career to where I'm doing it because I enjoy it, and it's what I love. Results, you know, doing this the best I can is great. I'm going to be happier if I skate clean but it's also I just enjoy figure skating," she said.

Claire Seo started the final group of women’s skaters off with a clean and elegant program, earning a 67.41 and putting her in third place. Lindsay Thorngren had turned heads on the Grand Prix Circuit, but she only did a single Axel in place of her planned double, giving her a score of 65.33, putting her in fourth place. Starr Andrews fell on her first jump and couldn’t finish her planned combination, so she was given a score of 60.35.

One person missing from the competition was Ava Ziegler, who impressed on the Grand Prix circuit earlier this season. She’s sitting out the U.S. championships to focus on the Four Continents Championship, which starts next week in Shanghai, China.

Chock and Bates win rhythm dance

The theme for the rhythm dance was the feeling and music of the 1980s, and defending world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates showed they are in a category of their own in ice dancing. Skating to a medley of Queen songs, they scored a 92.17 for the short program, their season’s best for the rhythm program.

Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko took second in the rhythm dance thanks to a skate to Stevie Nicks songs. Caroline Green and Michael Parsons, performing to the hair band the Scorpions, rocked their way to third place with a score of 80.91.

The U.S. ice dancing champion will be crowned on Saturday (27 Jan) afternoon, and the results will help decide the U.S. world championship team. Three ice dance teams can go to the world championships for the U.S.

Chan and Howe led, but have withdrawn from competition

Emily Chan and Spencer Howe lead in pairs after the short program, competing for the first time in the 23-24 season after Howe suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder. This result had put them back on the same path they were on last season, when they took silver at two Grand Prix events, and second at the U.S. Championships before discovering Howe’s injury. However, they released a statement after competing saying that they want to get healthy and have withdrawn.

Chan and Howe earned a 65.86, putting them just in front of Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, who scored a 64.57, and Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman, who pulled a 64.21. The pairs champions will be decided on Saturday (27 January) evening. The winners will help decide who will go to the world championships in Montreal in March. The U.S. can send three teams.