Who Are Team USA’s Olympic Figure Skating Stars? 6 Things to Know About the 2022 Team

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Who Are Team USA’s Olympic Figure Skating Stars? 6 Things to Know About the 2022 Team

Ice, ice, baby! Team USA’s Olympic figure skating team is packed with talent — making them a strong competitor in every event. The roster for the 2022 Beijing Games, which kicked off on Friday, February 4, is made up of 16 athletes, who will compete in a variety of disciplines both solo and partnered. The ice dancers include Jean-Luc Baker, Evan Bates, Zachary Donohue, Kaitlin Hawayek, Madison Hubbell and Madison Chock. The pairs competitors feature Ashley Cain-Gribble, Brandon Frazier, Alexa Knierim and Timothy LeDuc. The team is rounded out by the women’s singles contenders, including Mariah Bell, Karen Chen and Alysa Liu. The men’s singles lineup features Jason Brown, Nathan Chen and Vincent Zhou. Fans may be familiar with Nathan, 22, who was the one to watch at the 2018 Olympics. While the athlete didn’t make it on the podium in his solo event, he has come to his second Games with even more determination to get the gold. “Rather than it being a demon, I think it was a helpful learning experience,” the young athlete told reporters after his short program skate on Friday, reflecting on his past performances at the Winter Games. [jwplayer C3Ojz1CS-zhNYySv2] His return to the Games started with a killer solo skate, which pleased Nathan. “I may not be the most emotional person, but deep down I’m genuinely very happy,” he added. Ice dance partners Donohue, 31, and Hubbell, 30, for their part, previously announced that they are retiring after the 2021-2022 season making these Olympics their last chance at a medal. "After 11 years, I’ve probably been my worst self to Zach, out of anybody in my whole life," Hubbell told reporters in February, reflecting on her highs and lows both romantically and professionally with her partner. " And he still looks at me and he’s like, 'It’s fine and I love you and I’ll see you tomorrow.' And that’s something where it bonds you for life." The duo dated for two and a half years during the early days of their partnership but have since formed an even stronger bond both on and off the ice. "To be able to just look at someone and say 'I love you,' in a way that I don’t love other people, is something powerful to admit," Hubbell, who is now engaged to Spanish ice dancer Adrian Diaz, added. "It’s helped us in the last couple years re-form a new bond and a new friendship. And it’s part of that calm I think that we’re feeling on the ice now with each other. We look at each other and there’s full trust and vulnerability and adoration." Scroll down to learn more about the U.S. figure skating team: [podcast_block]

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1. Record Breaker

Bates, 33, is the only U.S. figure skater of any discipline to compete in four Olympic Games, appearing in 2010, 2014 and 2018. He has been teamed up with Chock, 29, since the 2011-2012 season and the duo have competed in both the 2014 and 2018 Games.

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2. Olympics Are in Their Blood

Cain-Gribble, who competes in the pairs event with partner LeDuc, is following in her father’s footsteps. The 26-year-old skater’s dad, Peter Cain, represented Australia in the pair’s competition alongside sister Elizabeth Cain at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.

Ice dancer Baker’s parents were both competitive ice skaters, with his father, Stephen Baker, taking the ice at the 1976 World Junior Championships. His mother, Sharon Jones Baker, represented the U.K. as an ice dancer at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. The 28-year-old athlete, for his part, has been skating with Hawayek, 25, for a decade.

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3. The One to Watch

Nathan is one of the biggest names in the sport, vying for a gold medal in the men’s singles event. The Utah native is already a three-time World champion and an Olympic veteran having competed in the 2018 PyeongChang Games.

While he didn’t take home an individual medal at his first Olympics — he earned a bronze as part of the team event — he did make history. The Yale University student became the first skater to land six quadruple jumps in a single program for his event performance and earned the highest free skate score in the Games history.

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4. Friendly Exes

Donohue and Hubbell have a long history both professionally and personally. The ice dance partners, who previously competed at the 2018 Olympics, started as partners in 2011 and about six months later became romantically involved. They split after two and half years as a couple but have remained skating partners.

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5. Breaking Barriers

LeDuc became the first openly gay skater to win the pairs title with partner Cain-Gribble at the 2022 U.S. Nationals. The 31-year-old athlete broke down another barrier with their appearance at the Beijing Games, becoming the first non-binary athlete to compete at any Winter Games.

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6. An Adam Rippon Connection

Bell’s road to her first Olympics includes help from former Olympian Rippon, 32, who is one of her coaches. The 25-year-old athlete solidified one of three Olympic berths by winning gold at the 2022 Championships.

“Four years ago, I had the honor of becoming an Olympian. Four years later, I have the honor of being a coach to my friend who will now live out her own Olympic dream,” Rippon wrote via Instagram in January ahead of Bell’s first skate. “I can’t wait for the world to meet @mariahsk8rbell and fall in love with my favorite girl from Oklahoma 😭❤️🇺🇸.”