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Alexa Knierim and Christopher Knierim react at the completion of their program in the senior pairs at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 in Greensboro, N.C. They are in currently in first place after the program. (AP Photo/Lynn Hey)
Alexa Knierim and Christopher Knierim react at the completion of their program in the senior pairs at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 in Greensboro, N.C. They are in currently in first place after the program. (AP Photo/Lynn Hey)Lynn Hey/Associated Press

US Figure Skating Championships 2020: Results for Pairs, Ladies Short Program

Timothy RappJan 23, 2020

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships continued on Thursday, with the short programs in the Championship Pairs and Championship Ladies competitions on the docket.Ā 

Alexa andĀ Christopher Knierim sit in first place after the pairs competition by a solid margin, registering a score of 77.06. In the ladies competition,Ā Bradie TennellĀ leads with a record-setting score ofĀ 78.96.Ā 

The Knierims are nowĀ in excellent position heading into Saturday's free skate after Thursday's dominant showing.

The pair scored big with a triple twist lift, a throw triple lutz and anĀ axel lasso lift.

Tarah Kayne andĀ Danny O'Shea (70.35) finished in second, withĀ Ashley Cain-Gribble andĀ Timothy LeDuc (68.86),Ā Jessica Calalang and Brian JohnsonĀ (67.56) andĀ Audrey Lu andĀ Misha Mitrofanov (65.06) rounding out the top five.

In the women's short program,Ā Alysa Liu (75.40),Ā Amber Glenn (73.16),Ā Mariah Bell (73.22) andĀ Karen Chen (70.41) rounded out the top five behind Tennell.

Tennell was awesome on Thursday, holding off an incredibly competitive field. Record-setting, even. According to NBC OlympicTalk, "Tennell, the 2018 U.S. champion, skated clean for the highest women's short score in nationals history."Ā 

She'll have her work cut out for her, however, with Liu and Glenn lurking.

The evening also included the return of Gracie Gold, who scored just aĀ 54.51 and finished 13th but was oneĀ of the night's better stories. Gold had abandoned her pursuit of a place in the 2018Ā PyeongchangĀ Games in 2017 due to anĀ eating disorder, depression and anxiety.

"I feel like in the sport of skating, comebacks don't happen that much because to go through the process and some of the ridicule that comes with it at first is hard," she told Karen Crouse of the New York TimesĀ in December. "You're essentially being criticized by the judges, by the fans, by your coach and by yourself. That can be a lot."

But Gold nonetheless qualified for the U.S. Championships and continues her comeback bid.Ā 

Friday's events continue at 4 p.m. ET and include theĀ Championship Rhythm Dance (broadcast on NBCSN) andĀ Championship Ladies Free Skate (on NBC).Ā 

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