Asian Americans named to 2018 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team

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photo courtesy U.S. Figure Skating

Several Asian American skaters have been named to the 2018 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team, U.S. Figure Skating announced Jan. 7-8. They will compete at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 as part of the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team.

The women’s singles team consists of Bradie Tennell, Mirai Nagasu and Karen Chen. Bradie Tennell, of Carpentersville, Ill., is the 2018 U.S. champion.

Mirai Nagasu, of Arcadia, Calif., is the 2018 U.S. silver medalist. She won the U.S. women’s title in 2008 and placed fourth at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia. According to U.S. Figure Skating, she is the second American woman in history to land a triple Axel in international competition.

Karen Chen, of Fremont, Calif., is the 2018 U.S. bronze medalist. She won the U.S. women’s title in 2017, and is the 2015 U.S. bronze medalist. Her fourth-place performance at the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships secured three spots for the United States women’s team at the 2018 Olympics.

The men’s singles team is Nathan Chen, Adam Rippon and Vincent Zhou.

Nathan Chen, of Salt Lake City, Utah, is the 2018 U.S. champion, successfully defending his 2017 title. Chen entered the 2018 U.S. Championships as the only undefeated male skater in the 2017-18 season, winning two Grand Prix Series titles and the Grand Prix Final. Chen is the only man in the world to receive credit for landing five different types of quadruple jumps in international competition, U.S. Figure Skating notes.

Adam Rippon, of Los Angeles, is the 2016 U.S. champion, and placed fourth at the 2018 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Vincent Zhou, of Palo Alto, Calif., is the 2018 U.S. bronze medalist. He won the 2017 U.S. silver medal and ended last season as the 2017 World Junior champion. Zhou has won U.S. titles at the intermediate (2011), novice (2012) and junior (2013) levels.

photo courtesy U.S. Figure Skating

The ice dance team is Madison Chock and Evan Bates, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, and Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani.

Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, of Ann Arbor, Mich., are two-time U.S. champions. They topped the podium at both of their Grand Prix assignments this season before earning bronze at the Grand Prix Final. They are the 2017 World bronze medalists, 2016 World silver medalists, and placed ninth at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates are the 2018 U.S. bronze medalists, while Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue are the 2018 champions.

The 2018 Olympic Winter Games will take place Feb. 9-25, in PyeongChang, South Korea.

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