US Figure Skating Championships TV Schedule 2018: Thursday Preview, Predictions
Favorites in the pairs and men's disciplines will take center stage at the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Thursday at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
The pairing of Chris Knierim and Alexa Scimeca Knierim are looking to secure their spot on the roster for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with a strong routine in the senior pairs short program on Thursday afternoon.
The coronation of Nathan Chen as the best American male skater could begin on Thursday night in the senior men's short program. The 18-year-old is regarded as one of the best hopes to bring home a medal for Team USA in figure skating.
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Thursday Schedule
Junior Free Skate (1 p.m. ET)
Senior Pairs Short Program (3:50 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
Senior Men's Short Program (8:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
One Olympic Spot Up for Grabs in Pairs Competition
Only one pairs team will be selected to represent U.S. Figure Skating at the Winter Olympics.
The overwhelming favorite to make the trip to South Korea is the pairing of Chris Knierim and Alexa Scimeca Knierim.
The Knierims have recorded the highest finish of any American pair at the last three World Championships and have one national championship under their belts from 2015.
With the Olympic place being determined by the overall resume put together by skaters, you'd have to think the Knierims are as close to a lock as can be.
Their top challenger is the duo of Brandon Frazier and Haven Denney, who enter as the U.S. champion.
Frazier and Denney need a perfect skate in Thursday's short program to have any chance of derailing the Kneirims' trip to South Korea in a month's time.
Danny O'Shea and Tarah Kayne and Tim LeDuc and Ashley Cain will be among the pairs contending for the podium, but they are on the outside looking in when it comes to spots on the Olympic team.
Prediction: 1. Knierim/Scimeca Knierim, 2. Frazier/Denney, 3. LeDuc/Cain
Nathan Chen Ready to Further Cement Olympic Resume
Not only is Chen one of the best American figure skaters at the moment, he'll be one of the marquee athletes to watch at the Winter Olympics for Team USA.
Chen, who is the U.S. champion, is essentially using this year's event as a tune-up before he takes on the world's best in Pyeongchang.
Since a selection committee chooses the Olympic participants and it's not determined solely on results at nationals, the teenager is basically a lock to make the team.
Who joins Chen in South Korea will be the more intriguing storyline entering Thursday's short program.
Adam Rippon, Jason Brown, Vincent Zhou and Max Aaron are among the list of contenders vying to fill the other two Olympic positions.
At 28, Rippon is looking to become the oldest rookie on a U.S. Olympic figure skating roster since 1936, per NBC Olympic Talk's Nick Zaccardi.
Brown, who won the U.S. title in 2015, has Olympic experience on his resume, but he placed ninth at the Sochi Games, which may not play a major role in the consideration for his spot on the roster.
Zhou finished second behind Chen last year at nationals, but he has suffered through a plethora of falls this season that have hampered his case for South Korea.
Aaron is also a former U.S. champion and surged on to the Olympic radar with a third-place finish at the Grand Prix event in China in November.
Prediction: 1. Chen, 2. Rippon, 3. Brown
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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