SAN JOSE, Calif. — Bradie Tennell, Mirai Nagasu and Karen Chen, the top three finishers at the national figure skating championships, were selected Saturday morning for the United States team at the Pyeongchang Olympics.
U.S. Figure Skating uses a committee to decide the squad, and it went with the results of Friday night. Past performances and a variety of other data are included in the decision-making.
Ashley Wagner, a three-time United States champion who complained vigorously about the marks after the free skate, was not included. Four years ago, Wagner also finished fourth, but she was placed on the team ahead of Nagasu. Wagner wound up with a bronze medal in the team event.
Tennell, 19, and Chen, 18, the 2017 United States winner, made their first Olympics. Nagasu, now 24, was fourth at the 2010 Games.
The alternates, in order, are Wagner, Mariah Bell and Angela Wang. Only Wagner has been to an Olympics among those three.
The remainder of the team — three men, three ice dance couples and one pair — is scheduled to be announced on Sunday.
Continue reading the main storyTennell’s nearly perfect free skate earned her first national crown. Tennell, a long shot entering the season, was spotless in the short program on Wednesday. Then, as the final skater in the long program, she did not miss a trick under tremendous pressure. Her top competitors, Nagasu and Chen, had already done superb routines.
“I just had to keep calm and focus on what I knew I could do,” Tennell said. “There’s the initial butterflies, but I kind of start to lose myself and keep going.”
“I don’t think it’s sunk in quite yet,” she added. “I’m still kind of shocked. It’s indescribable to me.”
Nagasu, the United States champion 10 years ago and a 2010 Olympian, capped a sensational comeback with a flowing performance to finish second, assuring a spot in next month’s Olympics — a berth she was denied in 2014 by the selection committee. That position for Sochi was given to Wagner, who had a better overall record.
Chen, the defending champion, was third Friday night.
“I really put in my vote for the Olympic team,” said Nagasu, who has admitted that the stress of competing has often gotten the best of her. “I was very unhappy with questions that were asked, like, ‘If you make this Olympic team, that’ll be eight years in between.’ That’s a long time, and I know that. This is about my journey, and that decision hasn’t been made yet. There is always that chance that I will be skipped over again, but right now I’m enjoying that performance, that training that went into it. To have it come to fruition like it did tonight makes me really emotional, and I cannot wait for the decision to come out.”
After overpowering the entry and two-footing the triple axel, which 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 out in tears and covered her face, trying to gain control of the emotions that had often betrayed her in critical moments.
She was still crying when the marks showed she had shattered her personal best by nearly 20 points, with a 213.84.
Chen’s big season last year had not translated into achievement this campaign. She put those struggles behind her with a superb showing that had one flaw toward the end. She posted a 198.59 and was also overcome by tears.
Tennell had announced herself as a contender for the Olympic team with a third-place finish at Skate America. That was merely a prelude to her breakthrough performance at nationals, where she came through with her career best, 219.51.
Wagner had the crowd going for most of her energetic routine, but a flawed Lutz as her final jump was costly. She responded to the fans with a deep bow when she finished, and then shook her head when her marks were posted.
Hours later, after she verbally campaigned to be placed on the Olympic team again, Wagner was left off.
Continue reading the main story