At the senior level, Ilia Malinin won the men's event, Amber Glenn won the women's event, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov won the pairs event, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates won the ice dance event. With their seventh victory, Chock and Bates now hold the record for winning the most U.S. Championship titles in ice dance. At the junior level, Patrick Blackwell won the men's event, Angela Shao won the women's event, Reagan Moss and Jakub Galbavy won the pairs event, and Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin won the ice dance event.
After accounting for all byes, the top placements from the Singles Sectionals, U.S. Pairs Finals, or U.S. Ice Dance Finals were then assigned until the maximum number of competitors for each event (eighteen in men's singles, eighteen in women's singles, twelve in pairs, and fifteen in ice dance) was met.[5]
Men and women competing in single skating first performed a short program. Junior men and women performed their short programs on Monday, January 5. Senior women performed their short programs on Wednesday, January 7, while senior men performed theirs on Thursday, January 8.[3] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,[9] the short program had to include the following elements:
For senior men: one double or triple Axel; one triple or quadruple jump; one jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump, two triple jumps, or a quadruple jump and a double jump or triple jump; one flying spin; one camel spin or sit spin with a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[11]
For junior women: one double Axel; one double or triple loop; one jump combination consisting of two double jumps, one double jump and one triple jump, or two triple jumps; one flying sit spin; one layback spin, sideways leaning spin, or camel spin without a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and one step sequence using the full ice surface.[10]
For senior women: one double or triple Axel; one triple jump; one jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump, or two triple jumps; one flying spin; one layback spin, sideways leaning spin, camel spin, or sit spin without a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and one step sequence using the full ice surface.[11]
Men and women in single skating finished their competition with the free skating segment. Junior men and women performed their free skates on Thursday, January 6. Senior women performed their free skates on Friday, January 9, while senior men performed theirs on Saturday, January 10.[3] The free skate for both men and women could last no more than 4 minutes,[9] and had to include the following:
For junior men and women: seven jump elements, of which one had to be an Axel-type jump; three spins, of which one had to be a spin combination, one had to be a flying spin, and one had to be a spin with only one position; and a choreographic sequence.[12]
For senior men and women: seven jump elements, of which one had to be an Axel-type jump; three spins, of which one had to be a spin combination, one had to be a flying spin, and one had to be a spin with only one position; a step sequence; and a choreographic sequence.[13]
Pair skating
Couples competing in pair skating also first performed a short program. Junior pair teams performed their short program on Monday, January 5, while senior teams performed theirs on Wednesday, January 7.[3] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,[14] it had to include the following elements:
For senior couples: one pair lift, one double or triple twist lift, one double or triple throw jump, one double or triple solo jump, one solo spin combination with a change of foot, one death spiral, and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[16]
Junior couples performed their free skates on Tuesday, January 6, while senior couples performed theirs on Friday, January 9.[3] The free skate could last no more than 4 minutes,[17] and had to include the following:
For junior couples: two pair lifts, one twist lift, two different throw jumps, one solo jump, one jump combination or sequence, one pair spin combination, one death spiral, and a choreographic sequence.[18]
For senior couples: three pair lifts, one twist lift, two different throw jumps, one solo jump, one jump combination or sequence, one pair spin combination, one death spiral, and a choreographic sequence.[18]
Couples competing in ice dance first performed a rhythm dance. Junior couples performed their rhythm dances on Monday, January 5, while senior couples performed theirs on Thursday, January 8.[3] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 50 seconds,[19] the theme of the rhythm dance this season was "music, dance styles, and feeling of the 1990s". Examples of applicable dance styles and music included, but were not limited to: pop, Latin, house, techno, hip-hop, and grunge.[20] The rhythm dance had to include the following elements:
For senior couples: one pattern dance step sequence, one choreographic rhythm sequence, one dance lift, one set of sequential twizzles, and one step sequence while not touching.[20]
Junior ice dance teams performed their free dances on Tuesday, January 6 while senior teams performed theirs on Saturday, January 10.[3] The free dance could last no longer than 3 minutes 30 seconds for juniors, or 4 minutes for seniors,[19] and had to include the following:
For junior couples: two dance lifts or one combination lift, one dance spin, one set of synchronized twizzles, one step sequence in hold, one turns sequence while on one skate and not touching, and two choreographic elements.[20]
For senior couples: three dance lifts or one dance lift and one combination lift, one dance spin, one set of synchronized twizzles, one step sequence in hold, one turns sequence while on one skate and not touching, and three choreographic elements.[20]
Judging
For the 2025–26 season, all of the technical elements in any figure skating performance–such as jumps and spins–were assigned a predetermined base point value and were then scored by a panel of seven or nine judges on a scale from -5 to 5 based on their quality of execution.[21] The judging panel's Grade of Execution (GOE) was determined by calculating the trimmed mean (that is, the average after deleting the highest and lowest scores), and this GOE was added to the base value to come up with the final score for each element. The panel's scores for all elements were added together to generate a total elements score.[22] At the same time, judges evaluated each performance based on three program components–skating skills, presentation, and composition–and assigned a score from .25 to 10 in .25 point increments.[23] The judging panel's final score for each program component was also determined by calculating the trimmed mean. Those scores were then multiplied by the factor shown on the following chart; the results were added together to generate a total program component score.[24]
Deductions were applied for certain violations like time infractions, stops and restarts, or falls.[26] The total elements score and total program component score were added together, minus any deductions, to generate a final performance score for each skater or team.[27]
Ilia Malinin delivered a "flawless" short program, securing a 25-point lead over Tomoki Hiwatashi. "I felt really good," Malinin stated afterward, "and everything seemed to flow really well."[29] Malinin's short program includes a quadruple flip, an effortless triple Axel, a quadruple Lutz-triple toe loop jump combination, as well as his signature backflip and "raspberry twist".[29] Malinin won the free skate as well, even with a more conservative repertoire of jumps. "Around nationals is when I typically break in new skates and new boots," Malinin said at the end of the competition. "Being as these nationals were closer because of the Olympics, I didn't have a lot of time to get comfortable with them, so it was still kind of in the process where... sometimes they can be good, other days they can be really uncontrollable. So, I decided to play it safe here, and also to kind of save my energy preparing for the Olympic Games."[30]
Andrew Torgashev finished in second place after he delivered "the skate of his season" during the free skate. Torgashev delivered cleanly-executed jumps, intricate choreography, and tremendous speed. "I just put my heart out there," Torgashev said afterward.[30]Maxim Naumov, after finishing in fourth place for three seasons in a row, finished in third place.[30] After the short program, Naumov held up a photograph of himself at age three, on the ice for the very first time, accompanied by his parents, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. Shishkova and Naumov had died just days after the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships when American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River. "I was thinking about them,” Maxim Naumov said after the short program. “Their smile, their laugh, what they’d say to me, their words; it all replays in my head, especially in times like this."[31]
Malinin, Naumov, and Torgashev were named to the 2026 Winter Olympic team on January 11. "My parents, what we talked about and how much we discussed this through my entire life, and how much it means to us, and how much the Olympics is part of our family," Naumov said after learning he'd been named to the American team. "I thought of them immediately. I wish they could be here to experience it with me, but I do feel their presence and they are with me."[32] Malinin also spoke of his parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, both former Olympians: "They’ve told me so many great stories, how [the Olympics are] just such a different event. And I’m just so excited to go there and to represent Team USA and to hopefully go for that Olympic gold."[33]
Jason Brown, who had been in third place after the short program, had a disappointing free skate, ultimately finishing in eighth place. Brown had been a solid member of the U.S. figure skating team since his senior debut in 2013, most recently helping to secure a third spot in men's singles for the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics. "I’m just so unbelievably proud of my career," Brown said after the free skate. "I’m so proud of all the times that I represented the U.S.,.. of my Worlds, Olympics experiences, and of being such a rock for Team USA throughout my career. That’s something that doesn’t go away based on one event."[34]
Amber Glenn won both the short program and the free skate, ultimately winning her third consecutive U.S. Championship title. Alysa Liu finished in second place with a revamped performance to a Lady Gaga medley, and Isabeau Levito finished in third with an elegant performance set to music from Cinema Paradiso.[36] "I had to skate after these two incredible ladies brought the house down, so I'm glad that I didn't disappoint too much," Glenn stated afterward. "I'm still just mind blown."[37] Levito and Liu stuck around after their performances to watch Glenn perform, each having delivered high-quality performances that resulted in season-high scores. After Glenn received her scores, she brought Levito and Liu into the kiss and cry to celebrate.[36] Liu had earlier set a new record score in the short program, which Glenn subsequently broke less than fifteen minutes later. A sharp contrast to rivalries which had become hallmarks of competitive figure skating, the bonds of friendship between Glenn, Liu, and Levito are genuine. "I just think that we are all trying to lift each other up, and in doing so, it just pushes people to the top,” Glenn stated after the short program. “I think it's just all about that and doing it in a healthy way. And that's the future of our sport."[38] Levito added: "We're all doing something that we're passionate about and that we love, so we all just want to do our best at every competition."[38]
Glenn, Levito, and Liu were named to the 2026 Winter Olympic team on January 11. Liu had previously competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, after which point she retired from competitive skating. She returned two years later with a rejuvenated passion for the sport, winning the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships. Glenn had also stepped away from competitive skating in 2015, citing mental health reasons. Since returning, she has been able to perform a triple Axel, and won three consecutive U.S. Championship titles. 2024 World silver medalist Levito is the fifth ranked women's singles skater in the world. "This was my goal and my dream," Levito said of being chosen to compete at the Olympics, "and it just feels so special it came true."[33]
Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov won the U.S. Championship title for the second year in a row, outscoring Ellie Kam and Daniel O'Shea, who finished in second place, by a margin of over ten points. They already had a decent lead after the short program, but despite an early error during their double Axel jump sequence, they finished soundly. Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman rallied back from a fifth-place finish in the short program to finish the competition in third place.[40]
On January 11, U.S. Figure Skating announced that Kam and O'Shea, as well as Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe, had been named to the 2026 Winter Olympic team. The Olympic Charter states that an athlete must be a citizen of the country which he or she is representing at the Olympic Games.[41] Alisa Efimova is originally from Finland, and has tried to expedite her citizenship application in order to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics. However, according to Matt Farrell, CEO of U.S. Figure Skating, "The selection procedures that were approved require a U.S. passport by the time of nomination of the team to the USOPC. At this time, there is not a current U.S. passport for Alisa Efimova."[40] McBeath and Parkman were also not eligible to compete at the Olympics because Parkman is not a U.S. citizen.[33]
Madison Chock and Evan Bates easily won both segments of the ice dance competition, winning their seventh national title and setting a new record for the most U.S. championship titles won in ice dance. Their free dance, a blend of flamenco and paso doble styles set to "Paint It Black" earned them a new personal best with near-perfect program component scores. In an interview prior to the event, Chock stated: "We feel so loved by the skating community and in turn love them right back. It’s such a privilege to be part of this wonderful family."[43]Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik finished in second place, while Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko finished in third.[43]
On January 11, U.S. Figure Skating announced that Chock and Bates, Zingas and Kolesnik, and Carreira and Ponomarenko had been named to the 2026 Winter Olympic team. This will be the fourth appearance at the Winter Olympics for Chock and Bates, who won gold medals as part of the team event in 2022. "I think our chemistry really comes through when we perform, because we have a shared passion," Chock stated in December. "We love what we do, but we also really love each other, and we're able to take this passion and use it to foster our connection as a couple. And I think from that we've grown a lot through our sport, and that's been such a great teacher for us."[44]
Patrick Blackwell, who had won the bronze medal at the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, overwhelmingly won the junior men's title, defeating Caleb Farrington by a margin of more than twenty-five points. "Coming back from a disaster of a long program last year, it feels pretty good to get a good long program... done at nationals," Blackwell stated.[46] Blackwell's free skate earned a new personal best score and featured a quadruple toe loop, quadruple Salchow, and a triple Axel-triple Axel jump sequence. "I'm happy to walk away with the gold medal here, but this is not just for me," Blackwell explained, "but the ones who passed a year ago."[46] Blackwell's friend Spencer Lane had died aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 when it crashed into the Potomac River a year ago. Blackwell used a forty-second section of music from Lane's planned 2026 program in his own free skate: "It helped me in the second half of the program to really push through, even when I was tired. Just get through that program."[46] Despite a fall on his opening quadruple toe loop, Caleb Farrington finished in second place, landing six clean triple jumps. Louis Mallane, who had been in seventh place after the short program, rallied back to win the bronze medal. "I was really happy with my performance," Mallane said. "I wasn't expecting to podium at this event."[46]
Angela Shao, who had been in second place after the short program, performed flawlessly in the free skate, successfully performing all seven triple jumps and earning a new personal best score, to win the gold medal. "I'm just surprised," Shao stated afterward. "I am truly grateful for this experience, because I worked hard to achieve this."[46] Annika Chao, who had been in second place after the short program, won the silver medal. Despite an error on her second Lutz jump, Chao successfully performed five triple jumps and a series of "picture-perfect spins".[46] Hannah Kim, who had been in the lead after the short program, finished in third place. "I was actually proud of it," Kim said of her program. "I feel like I have been through so much this year... I think after I finished all of my jumps, I was in disbelief because it's all over now. I feel like this season has been really tough on me, and I needed that skate tonight."[46]
Reagan Moss and Jakub Galbavy won the junior pairs title for the second consecutive year, the first junior pairs team to do so in the history of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. "It's very exciting," Moss said afterward. "I'm starstruck in a way."[46] Moss and Galbavy set new personal best scores in both the free skate and overall total, winning the competition by more than sixteen points. "Our biggest goal was just to be present and make everyone believe we have a senior performance," Galbavy said.[46] Sofia Jarmoc and Luke Witkowski, who had finished in fourth place at the 2025 U.S. Championships, won the silver medal, also setting new personal best scores in the free skate and overall total. "We were very sick going into the competition," Witkowski stated afterward. "We are grateful for those programs where you really have to fight for it, because it teaches you a lot. All things considered, we did a good job. We had a personal best, so no complaints here."[46] Milada Kovar and Jared McPike finished in third place.[46]
Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin won the junior ice dance competition for the second year in a row, setting new personal best scores in the free dance and overall total. Aboian and Veselukhin won every competition in which they competed this season, including the 2025 Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. "Winning the title last year was like years and years of effort finally paid off," Aboian stated afterward. "Coming back and doing it again is a surreal feeling."[46] Jasmine Robertson and Chase Rohner, in only their first year skating together, finished in second place. "I was really feeling the program, hearing the music," Rohner stated. "I feel like it was going outward, beyond us two."[46] Jane Calhoun and Mark Zheltyshev, also in their first year as a team, finished in third place.[46]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
