SAN JOSE — It wasn’t unanimous but American skating officials believe they have the best possible team headed to the Pyeongchang Games.
Teenagers Vincent Zhou of Palo Alto and Nathan Chen of Salt Lake City joined Adam Rippon, 28, as the three-member Olympic team, U.S. Figure Skating officials announced Sunday morning.
Chen, 18, easily defended his American title Saturday night at SAP Center to head into the 2018 Winter Games as his country’s best medal hope.
Rippon, who was fourth after a poor free skate Saturday, was picked over Ross Miner, who had placed second with one of his best performances in years. But selectors weren’t relying on one result to pick the team.
President Sam Auxier of U.S. Figure Skating said a selection committee had only one dissenting vote late Saturday.
“We have the right team,” Auxier said.
Zhou, 17, follows Karen Chen of Fremont, who also is headed to South Korea. For the first time in 30 years the Bay Area will have two singles skaters at one Winter Games.
In 1988, Brian Boitano of Sunnyvale won the gold medal whereas Debi Thomas of San Jose earned a bronze.
“There’s a certain feeling — meaning — that comes with the word Olympian,” Zhou said Sunday. “To have that attached with my name I am so grateful.”
Zhou’s mother, Fei Ge, said her son had hardly slept over the past two days because of the intensity of the championships that end Sunday with ice dancing.
Ge told her son, “Go to sleep.”
Zhou had too much energy: “I was hanging on to anything that I could that I would make the team,” he said.
The three Olympians also will appear at the 2018 World Championships starting March 19 in Milan, Italy.
— — —
As expected, officials nominated U.S. champions Alexa Scimeca-Knierim and husband Chris Knierim for United States’ lone pairs’ berth. Sarah Feng of Fremont and partner TJ Nyman were named to the Junior World Championships team that competes in March in Bulgaria.
