The United States is going for figure skating medals. Here’s What You Need to Know – NBC Chicago

Team USA is chasing its first medal in figure skating since 2010 as Nathan Chen and Jason Brown are scheduled to compete in the final men’s event on Wednesday.

Here’s what to know ahead of the competition and where things stand.

When and how to watch figure skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics?

The figure skating started on February 3 and will continue until February 19.

The first week of programming consisted entirely of team events, while the second week included individual competitions. Wednesday will mark the final of the medal contest for the men’s individual, which will conclude with the freestyle.

One of the final events of the Winter Olympics will be the Exhibition Gala, where fans can enjoy more personality-focused performances featuring some of the Games’ most popular skaters.

Below is the full event and streaming information for each figure skating competition day.

*TV channels reflect live events, times may differ for reruns; see the full schedule for detailed information.

Who could win the medal on Wednesday?

Chen, who set a world record earlier this week in the men’s short program, is the favorite for gold in the men’s individual competition.

The 22-year-old took first place in the men’s short program with a score of 113.97, the highest ever score for a short program. Chen had set a personal best earlier at the 2022 Winter Olympics with a score of 111.71 in the figure skating team event.

Yuma Kagiyama of Japan placed second with a score of 108.12. Next in line is Japan’s Shoma Uno, the reigning Olympic silver medalist, with a score of 105.90.

Another name to watch in the standings is Team USA’s Jason Brown, a native of Highland Park, Illinois. He is making his second Olympic appearance after his first competition in 2014, when he placed sixth in the short program with a score of 86.00. On Tuesday, he was the last skater to hit the ice and scored 97.24 – a personal best.

The Beijing Olympics are dubbed Chen’s Redemption Tour. In PyeongChang, the then 18-year-old struggled in the individual event, eventually falling back to fifth after slipping to 17th. Eventually, his Olympic experience was cut short after he contracted the flu.

Since then, Chen has emerged as the overwhelming favorite and the best chance for the United States to win an individual medal.

Another big story from the 2022 Winter Olympics came in the men’s short program, with Yuzuru Hanyu. The reigning two-time Olympic gold medalist fell all the way to eighth after an early mistake damaged his technical score. Hanyu finished with a score of 95.15, more than 15 points below his score at the PyeongChang Games. He had the highest score of the previous two Olympic short programs en route to back-to-back gold medals.

What would a medal mean for the United States in the men’s event?

An American hasn’t won a singles medal since 2010, when Evan Lysacek won gold for Team USA in the event.

Who has already dominated the sport at the Winter Games?

The history of Olympic figure skating is so iconic that it predates the Winter Games themselves. Originally contested at the London Olympics in 1908, it has been a staple of the Winter Olympics since the first Games in 1924.

The United States led figure skating with 51 medals, followed by Russia, Austria and Canada, all of which have 20 or more medals. In PyeongChang, Canada led the way with four medals – two gold and two bronze – paving the way for a competitive field in 2022.

The Americans are hedging their bets on Chen, who is from Salt Lake City. Chen, known for his very difficult jump attempts, entered PyeongChang with high hopes but ultimately struggled to perform on the ice.

Who are the favorites for the gold medal in the other figure skating events?

In the women’s competition, Russian women historically dominate the individual event and could easily take the podiums.

Meanwhile, China has more gold medals in the pairs competition than any other country. However, Chinese duo Sui Wenjing and Han Cong will have their work cut out with France, the United States and the Russian Olympic Committee all expected to enter competitive pairings.

Who is on the USA Figure Skating Team?

The US roster was finalized in mid-January after the nationals, with sixteen athletes making the cut for Beijing.

This list includes a wide range of experiences, with seven athletes making their Olympic debuts. At one end is 16-year-old Alysa Liu, the youngest member of Team USA’s figure skating delegation. On the other side, five athletes over 30, crowned by Evan Bates, 33, who is making his fourth Olympic appearance.

They are all supposed to compete in a single event, with some being selected for the team event at the mid-Olympiad.

The full list of American figure skaters is as follows:

• Jean-Luc Baker (ice dancing)
• Evan Bates (ice dancing)
• Mariah Bell (ladies’ singles)
• Jason Brown (men’s singles)
• Ashley Cain-Gribble (Pairs)
• Karen Chen (ladies’ singles)
• Nathan Chen (men’s singles)
• Zachary Donohue (ice dancing)
• Brandon Frazier (Pairs)
• Kaitlin Hawayek (ice dancing)
• Madison Hubbell (ice dancing)
• Alexa Knierim (Pairs)
• Timothy LeDuc (Pairs)
• Alysa Liu (ladies’ singles)
• Vincent Zhou (Men’s Singles)
• Madison Chock (ice dancing)

How do athletes qualify to represent the United States in figure skating?

Unlike many other Olympic sports, figure skating does not have a unique Olympic Trials in the United States. All selections are instead made on a discretionary basis, with priority given to the US Figure Skating Championships in early January. The coaching staff evaluated athletes based on their performances at several competitions in the year leading up to the Olympics.