The 2018 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships were held from December 29, 2017, to January 7, 2018, at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. The event served as the final qualifying competition for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. Nathan Chen, Bradie Tennell, Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim, and Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue emerged as the senior national champions.
The Significance of the 2018 Championships
The 2018 U.S. Championships were far more than a domestic title chase; they were the "Olympic Trials" for American figure skating. Held just weeks before the PyeongChang Winter Games, the pressure in San Jose was palpable. Unlike sports like track and field, where the top three finishers automatically qualify for the Olympics, U.S. Figure Skating uses a "body of work" criterion. This means that while results at the National Championships are the most significant factor, previous international performances, Grand Prix results, and World Championship placements from the preceding season are also considered by the selection committee.
This nuance created a weekend of high drama, as several athletes who finished on the podium found themselves left off the Olympic team, while others who struggled in San Jose were selected based on their proven international track records. The 2018 event is remembered as a turning point for the sport, marking the beginning of the "quad revolution" in the men's discipline and a shift in the hierarchy of American ice dance.
Men’s Singles: The Era of Nathan Chen Begins
The men’s competition was defined by the technical dominance of Nathan Chen. Already known as the "Quad King," Chen used the 2018 Championships to solidify his status as a gold-medal favorite for the Olympics. Chen’s performance in the free skate was a masterclass in modern athletic skating, featuring five clean quadruple jumps.
While Chen’s victory was expected, the battle for the remaining podium spots was chaotic. Ross Miner, a veteran skater who had struggled in previous years, delivered the performance of his life to take the silver medal. However, in a move that sparked significant debate among fans, the selection committee did not name Miner to the Olympic team. Instead, they chose Adam Rippon (who finished fourth) and Vincent Zhou (the bronze medalist) to join Chen. The committee cited Rippon's superior international scores over the previous two seasons as the justification for his inclusion over Miner.
Men’s Senior Final Standings
| Rank | Skater | Total Score | Short Program | Free Skate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nathan Chen | 315.23 | 104.45 | 210.78 |
| 2 | Ross Miner | 262.37 | 88.91 | 173.46 |
| 3 | Vincent Zhou | 255.31 | 89.02 | 166.29 |
| 4 | Adam Rippon | 242.20 | 81.41 | 160.79 |
| 5 | Grant Hochstein | 240.83 | 80.18 | 160.65 |
Ladies’ Singles: The Rise of Bradie Tennell
The ladies' event saw the emergence of Bradie Tennell, a skater who had spent much of the previous two seasons sidelined by back injuries. Tennell entered the 2018 Championships as a dark horse but quickly became the favorite after a flawless short program. Her consistency was her greatest weapon; she landed every jump with clinical precision, earning high technical marks that her competitors could not match.
Mirai Nagasu, seeking redemption after being controversially left off the 2014 Olympic team, finished in second place. Nagasu made history during this season by successfully landing the Triple Axel, a feat that bolstered her scoring potential and secured her spot for PyeongChang. Karen Chen, the 2017 champion, took the bronze despite battling illness during the week.
The most discussed moment of the ladies' event was the fourth-place finish of Ashley Wagner. Wagner, a three-time national champion and world silver medalist, was vocal about her disappointment with her components scores. Despite her veteran status, her fourth-place finish was not enough to overcome the "body of work" of Karen Chen, and Wagner was named as an alternate for the Olympic team.
Ladies’ Senior Final Standings
| Rank | Skater | Total Score | Short Program | Free Skate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bradie Tennell | 219.51 | 73.79 | 145.72 |
| 2 | Mirai Nagasu | 213.84 | 73.09 | 140.75 |
| 3 | Karen Chen | 198.59 | 69.48 | 129.11 |
| 4 | Ashley Wagner | 196.19 | 65.94 | 130.25 |
| 5 | Mariah Bell | 192.34 | 65.18 | 127.16 |
Ice Dance: A Historically Close Battle
U.S. Ice Dance in 2018 was arguably the strongest in the world, with three teams capable of winning an Olympic medal. The competition in San Jose was decided by the thinnest of margins. Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue captured their first national title, edging out the siblings Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani by only 0.19 points.
The "Shib Sibs" had been the dominant U.S. team for the previous two years, but Hubbell and Donohue brought a raw power and sensuality to their "Across the Sky" free dance that resonated with the judges. The third-place team, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, also finished within one point of the leaders, showcasing the incredible depth of the American dance field. All three teams were subsequently named to the Olympic team and all three finished in the top nine in PyeongChang, with the Shibutanis eventually winning the Olympic bronze.
Ice Dance Senior Final Standings
| Rank | Team | Total Score | Short Dance | Free Dance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M. Hubbell / Z. Donohue | 197.12 | 79.10 | 118.02 |
| 2 | M. Shibutani / A. Shibutani | 196.93 | 82.33 | 114.60 |
| 3 | M. Chock / E. Bates | 196.60 | 77.61 | 118.99 |
| 4 | Kaitlin Hawayek / Jean-Luc Baker | 187.61 | 73.18 | 114.43 |
| 5 | Rachel Parsons / Michael Parsons | 176.07 | 72.69 | 103.38 |
Pairs Skating: The Return of the Knierims
The pairs competition was a story of resilience for Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim. After Alexa suffered a life-threatening gastrointestinal illness that required multiple surgeries in 2016 and 2017, the husband-and-wife duo returned to the top of the podium. Their technical highlight was their massive triple twist, which consistently earned high grades of execution (GOE).
Because the U.S. had only earned one pairs spot for the 2018 Olympics, the stakes were "winner take all." By winning the national title decisively, the Knierims secured their ticket to South Korea. While the rest of the field, including silver medalists Tarah Kayne and Danny O'Shea, showed flashes of brilliance, the Knierims' international experience and technical ceiling made them the clear choice for the Olympic selection committee.
Pairs Senior Final Standings
| Rank | Team | Total Score | Short Program | Free Skate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A. Knierim / C. Knierim | 206.60 | 71.10 | 135.50 |
| 2 | T. Kayne / D. O'Shea | 200.80 | 68.93 | 131.87 |
| 3 | D. Castelli / M. Tran | 197.06 | 60.75 | 136.31 |
| 4 | Marissa Castelli / Mervin Tran | 182.38 | 60.75 | 121.63 |
| 5 | Chelsea Liu / Brian Johnson | 167.47 | 62.35 | 105.12 |
Olympic Team Selection and Aftermath
Following the conclusion of the events, U.S. Figure Skating officially announced the team for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games. The 2018 Nationals served as the primary evidence, but the "Body of Work" criteria led to the following roster:
- Men: Nathan Chen, Vincent Zhou, Adam Rippon (Alternates: Ross Miner, Max Aaron, Jason Brown).
- Ladies: Bradie Tennell, Mirai Nagasu, Karen Chen (Alternates: Ashley Wagner, Mariah Bell, Angela Wang).
- Pairs: Alexa Scimeca Knierim / Chris Knierim (Alternates: Kayne/O'Shea, Castelli/Tran).
- Ice Dance: Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donohue, Maia Shibutani / Alex Shibutani, Madison Chock / Evan Bates (Alternates: Hawayek/Baker, Parsons/Parsons).
The decision to omit Ross Miner in favor of Adam Rippon remained the most controversial aspect of the 2018 Championships. Rippon had missed the 2017 Nationals due to a broken foot but had performed strongly on the Grand Prix circuit in late 2017. The committee ultimately valued his international scoring potential over Miner’s single domestic performance.
Technical Milestones in San Jose
The 2018 Championships were notable for several technical achievements that signaled a shift in the sport’s direction:
- The Five-Quad Free Skate: Nathan Chen became the first man to land five clean quadruple jumps in a U.S. Championships free skate. This included the quad Lutz, quad flip, and quad toe loop.
- The Triple Axel: Mirai Nagasu’s successful Triple Axel in both the short and long programs (though under-rotated in some instances throughout the season) made her the leading American woman in terms of technical difficulty.
- High GOE for Twists: The Knierims showcased a Level 4 Triple Twist that received +3 GOE from nearly every judge, a rarity in the pairs discipline at the time.
- Ice Dance Scores: For the first time in history, the top three U.S. Ice Dance teams all scored within one point of each other, reflecting the extreme parity at the top of the discipline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2018 US Figure Skating Championships?
The senior winners were Nathan Chen (Men’s), Bradie Tennell (Ladies’), Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim (Pairs), and Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue (Ice Dance). Nathan Chen’s victory was particularly notable as it was his second consecutive national title on his way to becoming a multi-time world and Olympic champion.
Why didn't Ross Miner go to the Olympics after winning silver?
The U.S. Figure Skating selection committee uses a "body of work" criterion rather than a "top-three-and-in" rule. While Ross Miner won the silver medal, his international results over the previous two seasons were not as strong as Adam Rippon’s (who finished 4th) or Vincent Zhou’s (who finished 3rd). The committee chose Rippon and Zhou to join Nathan Chen because they had higher scoring potential in international judging.
What happened to Ashley Wagner at the 2018 Nationals?
Ashley Wagner finished in fourth place. She performed a solid free skate but was penalized for several under-rotated jumps and received lower-than-expected program component scores. Wagner expressed her frustration publicly, stating she was "furious" with the scoring, but she was ultimately named as the first alternate for the Olympic team.
How many spots did the US have for the 2018 Olympics?
Based on the results of the 2017 World Championships, the U.S. earned three spots for Men, three spots for Ladies, three spots for Ice Dance, but only one spot for Pairs. This made the pairs competition in San Jose particularly high-stakes, as only the winner was virtually guaranteed a trip to PyeongChang.
Where were the 2018 US Figure Skating Championships held?
The event took place at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. This was the third time San Jose hosted the championships, having previously held them in 1996 and 2012. The venue is often called the "Shark Tank" as it is the home of the NHL's San Jose Sharks.
Final Perspective on the 2018 Results
Looking back from 2026, the 2018 U.S. Championships stand as a pivotal moment in the history of American figure skating. It was the tournament that launched Nathan Chen toward his eventual Olympic gold in 2022 and established the rivalry in Ice Dance that would dominate the quadrennium. It also served as a reminder of the difficult and often subjective nature of Olympic selection, where a lifetime of work is weighed against a single four-minute performance. For fans and historians, the 2018 results remain a comprehensive record of a sport in transition, balancing traditional artistry with an unprecedented surge in technical difficulty.
