US Women's Figure Skating Olympics 2018: Anticipated Events and Favorites
Few things capture the sporting world's attention more every four years than the women's figure skating events at the Winter Olympics.
This year figures to be no different, as some of the most graceful athletes in Pyeongchang for the 2018 Games will hit the ice with the goal of bringing home medals and solidifying themselves among the legends of the sport.
The United States typically features strongly in the events involving women, as names such as Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski, Kristi Yamaguchi, Nancy Kerrigan, Sasha Cohen and Peggy Fleming are still household names among skating fans years after their Olympic fame.
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With that in mind, here are some predictions for the American women who will become favorites for those fans tuning into the 2018 Olympics, as well as the anticipated events they will compete in during the Games.
Women's individual event: Karen Chen
The women's individual figure skating competition is always one of the marquee events of the entire Olympics, setting many of the aforementioned athletes up for lifelong fame.
This year's United States team is missing Ashley Wagner, who finished in fourth place at the national championships despite a resume that includes three U.S. titles and a 2016 world silver medal.
Look for Karen Chen to fill the void as an American to watch in Pyeongchang after she captured the 2017 U.S. title—becoming the first outside of Wagner or Gracie Gold to do so since 2011.
According to Rachel Lutz of NBC Olympics, Yamaguchi—who shares the hometown of Fremont, California—serves as Chen's mentor.
Lutz noted health issues and boot problems led to some inconsistency for Chen after the triumph at the U.S. Championship, but the competitor said those concerns are behind her in a recent teleconference:
"I know I've shown a lot of inconsistency. I'm ready to let that all go, and let that all go behind me. I learned a lot from it. Nationals did go relatively well—I made the team. I am proud of the skates that I put out there. There's so much to work on and so much more improvement to get done. I've been staying focused on improving those little things."
She will need consistency in Pyeongchang if she is going to challenge Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva, who are both from Russia.
Ice dancing: Maia Shibutani (partnering with Alex Shibutani)
Maia Shibutani has already made American history.
According to Lutz, she and her ice dancing partner, brother Alex Shibutani, were the first United States ice dancers to medal at a world championship debut when they won the bronze in 2011. They are accustomed to handling pressure and have already competed in the Olympics in the past.
Maia and her brother finished in ninth place in the 2014 Games in Sochi but will look to build on that performance with experience under their belt.
They are two-time United States champions but will need to come through with some of their best performances to date to overcome Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir in Pyeongchang. The powerhouse tandem won a gold medal in 2010 in the Vancouver Olympics and two silver medals in Sochi, and they'll both be striving to add to their collection in 2018.
If the Shibutanis find a way to beat Virtue and Moir, they figure to be among the most memorable American figure skaters in these Games.
Pairs: Alexa Scimeca-Knierim (pairing with Chris Knierim)
Alexa Scimeca-Knierim stands out among the American women figure skaters as a potential comeback story.
While her and partner Chris Knierim won the 2015 United States title and captured silver at the event in 2016, she underwent three surgeries that cost her time during the 2016-17 campaign. However, the pair—who married each other in 2016—bounced back to win the national title in 2018.
It was a testament to her perseverance, and now she will take the ice on her sport's biggest stage for the first time.
Neither of the pair have never skated in Olympic competition and will have to overcome Germany's Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot if they hope to make their debut golden.
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