Bradie Tennell Wins Her First U.S. Figure Skating Title

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — With a nearly perfect free skate on Friday, the rising star Bradie Tennell won her first national title and almost certainly earned a spot on the American team for next month’s Olympics.

Tennell was spotless in the short program on Wednesday, then as the final skater in the long program she didn’t miss a trick under tremendous pressure. Her top competitors, Mirai Nagasu and Karen Chen, already had done superb routines.

“I just had to keep calm and focus on what I knew I could do,” Tennell, 19, said. “There’s the initial butterflies, but I kind of start to lose myself and keep going.”

Nagasu, 24, who won a national title 10 years ago and finished fourth at the 2010 Olympics, capped a sweet comeback with a flowing performance to finish second, virtually assuring a spot in next month’s Games in South Korea — four years after being denied a berth by the selection committee. That position for Sochi was given to Ashley Wagner, who finished fourth in the 2014 national championships, one spot behind Nagasu, but had a better overall record.

Chen, the defending champion, felt ill before the competition on Friday but took third, and Wagner was fourth.

The names of the three American women headed to the Pyeongchang Games will be announced on Saturday morning.

After two-footing her triple axel — a jump that no other American woman tries — Nagasu hit six triple jumps, including a loop in the final seconds of a stirring program. She was so moved by her performance that she broke into tears at the end and covered her face.

Nagasu was still crying in, appropriately, the kiss and cry area when the marks showed that she had shattered her personal best by nearly 20 points with a 213.84.

Chen, 18, had struggled of late, but she put the trouble behind her with a strong showing that had one flaw toward the end. Her score was 198.59.

Tennell scored a career best of 219.51. A long shot heading into the season, Tennell had announced herself as a threat to make the Olympic team with a third-place finish at Skate America.

Wagner, 26, had the crowd going for most of her energetic “La La Land” routine, but a flawed Lutz as her final jump was costly. She responded to the fans with a deep bow when she finished, yet was shaking her head “no” when her marks were posted. She got 196.19 points.

“I’m furious, I am absolutely furious,” Wagner said. “I know when I go and I lay it down and I absolutely left one jump on the table, but for me to put out two programs that I did at this competition as solid as I skated and to get those scores, I am furious and I think deservedly so.”