She had to wait three years for it, but Bradie Tennell won her second national title Friday night at the 2021 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Las Vegas.
Tennell scored 153.21 points in the free skates and a total of 232.61. She is the first woman in 101 years to run three or more years between women’s singles titles. (Tonya Harding won in 1991 and 1994, but was later stripped of her 1994 title.)
She looks relieved and excited as she completes her strong free skate, landing all seven triple jumps and knowing she has done what she planned to do.
“Winning the title back means everything to me,” Tennell said. ‘It was one of my driving forces behind my move to Colorado. It’s a driving force behind me that wakes up every day. They say it’s about the journey, not about the destination, but the destination also feels pretty good. ”
Tennell moved from suburban Chicago and left her longtime coach to Colorado Springs last summer.
After Tennell won subjects in 2018, when she made the Olympic team, she achieved the first time in the short program every year thereafter, but finally in 2019 with the silver and in 2020 bronze. She was joined on stage both years ago by Alysa Liu, the winner at the age of 13 and 14, and Mariah Bell.
The same three women were in the podium position on Thursday, but Liu would finish fourth this time and Bell fifth.
Amber Glenn, even surprising herself, and Karen Chen Tennell joined the top three with 215.33 and 214.98, respectively. Tennell’s victory over Glenn was 17.28 points, the largest margin for women since 2014, according to another points system.
Glenn was stunned by her 144.50 free skate score, with eyes that could be wide and swell with tears. It was a new personal record with more than 19 points.
Now 21, Glenn won the junior title in 2014 and then went on to float just under the radar as a contender, with her senior citizens ’results ranging from 13th in 2015 to as high as fifth last year.
“Wow, I’m still shocked,” she said as she spoke to the media.
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Glenn learned earlier in the day that she had a foot infection that had spread to her knee. Despite the injury, she was able to deliver a strong performance and said she skates for herself. She had hoped this week to become the fifth American woman to use a triple Axel, but shot it too short in her short program.
“I just detached myself from all the expectations and pressure, and just let myself skate,” Glenn said.
Chen, the winner of 2017 and an Olympic player in 2018, achieved her highest position since the Olympic year with a free skating score of 143.99.
Despite being a two-time defending champion, Liu said she expected the “minimum minimum” from herself. She grew three inches in the off-season, which meant she had to relearn many of her jumps and keep her distinctive triple Axel and foursome out of this week’s programs, and suffered a hip injury in October.
‘It was a very cool experience, especially since it was my first live competition [of the season]; I was happy to be here, ”says Liu, noting that she is looking forward to returning home and training her quad bikes.
Bell entered the title as a favorite after winning both of this season’s competitions, the virtual ISP Points Challenge and Skate America. In fifth place after the short program, she dropped to a distant fifth place after a fall on her three-time turn, among other mistakes. Her free skate earned 127.58 points.
Audrey Shin, the surprise bronze medalist from Skate America in her debut for the senior season, jumped from 10th place to shortly after seventh place with a redemptive free skate that scored 119.08 for a total of 176.82.
2014 Olympic Gracie Gold Finished 13th and moved back one spot from her short program placement after falling twice in the free skate.
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