US Figure Skating Championships TV Schedule 2018: Final Preview, Predictions

The Championship Dance will be the final event of the 2018 United States Figure Skating Championship, as the duo of Maia and Alex Shibutani seek to convert their lead into victory.

The pair posted a score of 82.33 in the short dance, putting them clear at the top of the standings ahead of the free dance on Sunday. Their nearest rivals are Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, while Madison Chock and Evan Bates begin in third spot.

In addition to the conclusion of this competition, the United States team for the 2018 Winter Olympics will be confirmed on Sunday, too.

Here is the schedule for Sunday, the television details and a preview of what's to come from the SAP Center in San Jose, California.

Sunday Schedule

3 p.m. (ET)—Free Dance

The competition will be shown live on NBC Sports 

Preview

Michelle Kennedy of Centered Spin provided the standings and running order following the short dance routines:

The Shibutani siblings took a massive step towards the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Friday, as they put together a fantastic routine to move clear of the field.

Maia posted the following on Twitter following the short dance, insisting she was pleased with the performance:

And so they should be, as their display was one of real maturity in San Jose, continuing a trend of refinement we've seen since the previous Olympics, when the duo finished in ninth position. Since then they've won bronze and silver in World Championships and will be hoping to go one better in South Korea.

That is, of course, if they make it there. While the Shibutanis are in a position of major strength, so much can go wrong under pressure in these types of competitions.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

However, it's clear the duo were full of confidence after moving to the top of the standings on Friday. 

"I think we made a big statement by skating the way that we did," Alex said after their short dance, per Christine Brennan of USA Today. "I think we did make a statement with our performance today."

Journalist Nick McCarvel also praised the display:

The gauntlet was undoubtedly laid down by the brother-and-sister pair, and it will be up to the rest of the field to produce something special in an attempt to reel them in.

Hubbell and Donohue can be content with their effort in the short dance but must find something stunning to take the lead. The same goes for Chock and Bates, who need a miracle or a big mistake from the leaders to be crowned national champions.