ST. LOUIS (AP) — Two-time defending champion Amber Glenn set the record for a women's short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday night, giving her the lead over world champion Alysa Liu heading into the free skate.
Liu had broken the record mere minutes earlier with a score of 81.11 points, earning a standing ovation from a crowd packed into the home of the St. Louis Blues. But then Glenn took the ice and was flawless from an opening
triple axel to her finishing combination spin, earning 83.05 points, a hug from coach Damon Allen and a standing ovation of her own.
Isabeau Levito was third with 75.72 points on the opening night of the national championships, which are also the last opportunity for skaters to impress the U.S. Figure Skating officials who will decide the team for the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Glenn, who four years ago missed out on nationals and a shot at the Beijing Games because of COVID-19, showcased her trademark power and emotion in a program set to “Like A Prayer” by Madonna. She followed the axel with a triple flip-triple toe loop, and her triple loop merely catapulted her into a rollicking finish to an energetic program.
Allen was by the rinkside, dressed in a maroon suit to match Glenn's dazzling maroon dress.
It all came on the heels of a similarly splendid performance from the 20-year-old Liu, who finished sixth at the Beijing Games, then stepped away from the sport entirely because of burnout, but is in the midst of a remarkable comeback.
Last year, she became the first American world champion since Kimmie Meissner in 2006.
Now, Liu is among a few U.S. hopefuls trying to deliver Olympic gold for the first time since Sarah Hughes in 2002.
Liu performed the same short program from last year's world championships, opening with a whirling triple flip, landing a solid double axel and finishing with what coach Phillip DiGuglielmo called her best triple lutz-triple loop of the season.
Levito, the 2023 champion and a former world silver medalist, had to withdraw from nationals last year because of injury. But she looked as if she had never missed a day, performing with style and grace to a medley of music honoring Sophia Loren.
Earlier in the night, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov began defense of their U.S. pairs title with a near-perfect short program, leaving them nearly eight points clear of the field as they hold out hope of making the American team for the Winter Games.
While the 28-year-old Mitrofanov was born in the U.S., his 26-year-old partner was born in Finland. And despite the couple being wed in 2024, and Efimova having a green card approved that summer, she is still waiting for the U.S. to decide whether to waive a three-year waiting period to become a citizen — one of the requirements to represent a nation in the Olympics.
U.S. Figure Skating will announce its team on Sunday, which means time is running out.
“We’re hoping maybe a last-minute miracle might happen,” Mitrofanov said.
Efimova and Mitrofanov seemed to simply glide inside Enterprise Center on the opening night of nationals. They opened their short program with a beautiful triple twist, landed their side-by-side triple toe loop in sync, their throw triple loop covered a long expanse of ice, and they finished by pumping their firsts as their music came to a close.
They wound up with a season-best 75.31 points, while Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy were second with 67.67, Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea right behind with 67.13, and Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez within podium reach with 67.03.
“We're definitely very proud with how we skated tonight. The crowd was amazing,” Mitrofanov said. “We really trusted each other. We trusted our training. I was a little more nervous than normal, to be honest, and I was proud of Alisa holding my hand throughout.”
___
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
