by Anne Calder | Pictures by Daphne Backman
The 2026 U.S. Determine Skating Championships had been held in St. Louis, MO from January 4-11. The principle occasion, which included the collection of the 2026 Olympic Workforce was held downtown on the Enterprise Centre.
Rhythm Dance
The Rhythm Dance was skated Thursday, January 8, the second day of the senior occasion. Fifteen groups competed. Ten earned byes and 5 certified on the 2026 Ice Dance Closing in Henderson, NV.
The dancers skated to excessive vitality and eye-catching “Music, Dance Kinds and Emotions of the 1990’s.” Any music was potential so long as it was launched initially or as a canopy model within the 1990’s. Additionally allowed was remixed and/or remastered music, together with cowl variations and music created by way of AI within the Model of 1990’s.
On the finish, the sector leaderboard confirmed: (1) Madison Chock & Evan Bates, (2) Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik, (3) Christina Carreira & Anthony Pononarenko (4) Caroline Inexperienced & Michael Parsons, (5) Emily Bratti & Ian Somerville.
Madison Chock & Evan Bates scored a season finest 91.70 factors for his or her efficiency to “American Girl”, “Fly Away”, “At all times On the Run” and “Are You Gonna Go My Manner” by Lenny Kravitz. The married couple trains at I.AM in Montreal, Canada.
Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik had been second with a dance to “Poison” and “One thing In Your Eyes” by Bell Biv DeVoe. This system scored a season finest 85.98 factors. The 2025 Finlandia Trophy bronze medalists prepare in Novi, MI with Igor Shpilband’s group.
Christina Carrera & Anthony Ponomarenko’s danced to “Candy Desires” by La Bouche and “100% Pure Love” by Crystal Waters, Basement Boys and scored 83.29. The staff trains in London, Ontario, CAN with Coaches Madison Hubbell and Scott Moir and Adrian Diaz.
Caroline Inexperienced & Michael Parsons scored 80.55 with their dance to “Groove Is within the Coronary heart” by Dee-lite, “I’m Too Attractive” by Proper Stated Fred and “Groove Is within the Coronary heart (Scotty 2025 Remix) by Dee-lite. The staff trains in Canton, MI with Coaches Tanith Belbin and Greg Zuerlein.
Emily Bratti & Ian Somerville (pictured, beneath) earned a 79.43 rating with their efficiency to “Vogue” by Madonna and “Stroll 4 Me” by Tronco TraxxFree Dance. Additionally they prepare in Canton, MI with Coaches, Greg Zuerlein, Tanith White and Brooke O’Keefe.
Free Dance
The Free Dance was competed on Saturday after the groups had been divided into three teams decided by the reverse end order of the Rhythm Dance. Every group of dancers was launched individually by skating order previous to its 5 minute warmup.
Group 1 opened the afternoon session with the groups that had positioned 11-15 competing their Rhythm Dances.
Within the night, the ultimate ten groups competed, starting with the dancers who had completed 6-10 on Thursday. The occasion closed with the 5 highest scoring groups from the Rhythm Dance. The dancers carried out in reverse order starting with the fifth place staff.
The order of the highest 4 groups remained the identical after the Free Dance. A number of modifications occurred with the groups 5 to fifteen. Dance medals had been later awarded on the ice to the 4 highest scoring groups.
Madison Chock & Evan Bates (gold) claimed their seventh Nationwide Championship title, breaking the file held by Meryl Davis & Charlie White. The World Champions opted for reverse roles whereas dancing to “Paint it Black” by Ramin Djawadi with Chock because the male conventional matador and Bates because the bull. The staff tapped the experience of Spanish dancer and determine skating choreographer, Antonio Najarro to assist create a singular marriage of Paso Doble and Flamenco. This system scored 137.17 and a complete 228.87.
The staff was requested about their plan to get on the Milan Olympic podium.
“It’s going to be extra of what it has been,” Chock stated. “We all know what to do. Now we have a plan, and we’re executing it, and we don’t plan on deviating from it. We’re going to belief ourselves and belief our staff.”
“I believe our efficiency was undoubtedly the most effective we’ve skated the free dance all yr,” added Bates. “It exhibits our plan is working. We prefer to construct momentum via the season. It’s an important feeing going into a giant occasion understanding that you just’ve skated nicely within the earlier competitors, so we’re going to roll with that momentum.”
Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik’s (silver) interpretation of Sergei Prokofiev’s traditional ballet, Romeo & Juliet emphasised the darker gothic sides of the teenage characters with their selection of music items – “Dance of the Knights” and “Juliet’s Dying” – and the tragically dramatic drop-dead faceless ending. Choreographed by Benoit Richaud, this system scored 127.67 factors and a 213.65 competitors complete.
“That is an especially particular occasion for us,” Zingas famous. “Final yr, at the moment, we skilled some disappointment on the US Nationals and actually, I really feel grateful for that second, as a result of it taught me to know what I need, and taught me how I don’t wish to really feel after a nationwide championships. I believe that was a bit little bit of a blessing in disguise, as a result of we had been capable of come collectively within the off season, and know precisely what our purpose was, and precisely what we wanted to do to get right here.”
Carreira & Ponomarenko (bronze) danced to “The Woman with the Plums,” “Fragrance – Distilled” and “Assembly Laura” from Fragrance – the Story of a Assassin and “The Huge Smoke,” “Strictly Taboo” and “Deceit and Betrayal” by Audiomachine. After combating inconsistency and lacking the rostrum at their two 2025 Grand Prix occasions, the staff deserted the Notre Dame de Paris soundtrack. In November the staff returned to the extra profitable 2023-24 program. The music and theme remained the identical whereas the choreography was up to date. This system scored 123.66 with a 3rd place 206.95 complete.
“We had a little bit of a rocky begin to this season, however I’m blissful that we acquired our act collectively after the Grand Prix, and we had been capable of ship efficiency right here,” Carreira stated. “I used to be actually blissful to be skating with Maddie and Evan. They’ve been with us since we teamed up, and we’ve at all times appeared as much as them.”
Caroline Inexperienced & Michael Parson’s (pewter) carried out their dance to “Escalate” by Tsar B and “Son of Nyx” by Hozier that scored 121.50. The staff medaled at three 2025-2026 worldwide occasions. Sadly on the Cup of China, the duo was pressured to withdraw after Parson’s fall within the Rhythm Dance resulted in a hip harm. The staff completed in fourth place with a 202.05 complete.
“We left each single piece of ourselves on the market on the ice at present,” Parsons stated. “And it’s onerous to talk now. I simply really feel empty, however, I imply in the very best method.”
Bratti & Somerville skated first within the last group to the music of “Nureyev” from The White Crow by Ilan Eshkeri, Lisa Batiashvili and Dudana Mazmanishvili and scored 117.86. Their fifth place end totaled 197.29.
“We had been actually pleased with the way it went,” Bratti stated. “It was actually onerous. We gave it all the things all week in practices, and we felt very drained from early on greater than traditional, so it felt like form of a struggle to get via it. We’re actually blissful we had been capable of skate clear and get all the things finished.”
It was enjoyable although,” added Somerville. “We made certain that we actually linked principally with one another, not likely focusing an excessive amount of on the viewers this time. Very totally different than the rhythm dance.”
Senior Ice Chips:
- The 2026 U.S. Nationwide Championships had a complete attendance of 93,231 throughout the 9 senior classes on the Enterprise Middle and two junior and novice classes at Centene Group Ice Middle. The St. Louis Sports activities Fee estimates the occasion introduced 5,000 guests to the area.
- Congratulations to our new U.S. Residents. Christina Carreira was born in Montreal, Canada and moved to Novi, Michigan when she was 13 to proceed her ice dance coaching. Carreira grew to become a U.S. citizen in November 2025. Vadym Kolesnik was born in Ukraine. He was 15 when he additionally moved to Novi, Michigan to coach with Igor Shpilband. Kolesnik grew to become a U.S. citizen in the summertime of 2025.
- Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani returned to the U.S. Determine Skating Championships after a seven-year depart of absence. The siblings earned a number of nationwide and worldwide medals throughout their careers. Within the 2025-2026 season they competed on the ISU Grand Prix Sequence NHK Trophy (sixth), Finlandia Trophy (fifth) and the united statesNational Championships (ninth).
- Oona Brown & Gage Brown honored their Italian-American heritage with a Free Dance story skated to the Godfather soundtrack.The mesmerizing efficiency earned a thunderous standing ovation from the captivated viewers. The choreography at all times had the concept of amplifying the ending, however with a potential fall deduction the staff put it on maintain for a present or Nationals. Gage’s demise roll on the ice made its debut in St. Louis.
Gage Brown: “After we’re in our ending place, particularly with a skate like that, and the gang at such a
quantity, so enthusiastic, understanding what we simply did, to exploit the ending was only a cherry on prime, and it was actually satisfying to try this for each of us,”
- Elliana Peal & Ethan Peal superior to the senior stage after the 2025 Championships. In April, the siblings moved from Nashville, TN to London, Ontario Canada to coach with new coaches. Elliana: “I really feel like our skating has improved a ton since our transfer. We’re now going into every occasion with a totally different mindset than we had previously. I really feel like yearly in junior we had been at all times attempting to get this one purpose. Now we take it competitors by competitors. The purpose is to do nicely there after which the subsequent one and so on. We method every competitors as its personal factor, and what we will be taught from it?”Ethan: “Identical to at present, we’re going try to work out what we will be taught from this occasion. If I may sum it up in a single phrase, it could be transformative.”
- Katarina Wolfkostin & Dimitry Tsarevski skated to the music from the Kill Invoice soundtrack and “Malagueña” by Brian Setzer. For the second season their program ended with a demise scene. The duo was requested in the event that they needed to observe dying on the ice.
Wolfkostin: “Not precisely. This season we watched the film and tried to tug inspiration from the final scene the place his character, Invoice, will get struck with a five-point demise punch or one thing like that.
Tsarevski: “As we had been choreographing, we realized that we had been out of time, so we thought, let’s simply add a demise scene.”
2026 U.S. Olympic staff:
Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko
Madison Chock and Evan Bates
Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik
Anthony Ponomarenko: “Unbelievable. I simply can’t wait. … We’re lastly in groove, so simply preserve working. We nonetheless have a whole lot of little particulars to repair up and present the very best model of ourselves on the Video games.”
Madison Chock: “We’re so excited. The Olympics undoubtedly by no means loses its luster. I’m simply as excited as I used to be the primary we made the staff. It’s such an honor to be part of Workforce USA and symbolize our nation and U.S. Determine Skating on the Olympics. I really feel so grateful to be a part of this staff. All the individuals on the staff are so unbelievable, so particular and so gifted.”
Vadym Kolesnik: “For me, it’s a dream of my life to symbolize the U.S. Ever since I moved right here on the age 15, I knew that I wished to symbolize the U.S. and go to the Olympics and do my very best, so it’s an honor for me.”
Alternate 1: Caroline Inexperienced and Michael Parsons
Alternate 2: Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville
Alternate 3: Oona Brown and Gage Brown
