Knierim and Frazier Find Their Own Path to the Top

Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier have surged from brand-new team to U.S. champions in just eight months, winning gold at the 2021 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January. Their quick rise to the top is fueled not so much by driving ambition as a determination to stay in the moment, trust their new partnership and coaches, and allow that trust to yield success.
 
Que sera, sera, the song title goes ("What will be, will be"). At ages 29 and 28, Knierim and Frazier realize that their partnership is both a second chance and a leap of faith. ("A gift," Frazier termed it.) They have high hopes for the future, but keep pressures at bay by focusing on what they can accomplish day to day in training. So far, the approach is working.
 
Knierim and Frazier's decision to team up last spring seemed an obvious choice. Knierim had won three U.S. championships with former partner and husband Chris Knierim, while Frazier won the 2017 U.S. title with former partner Haven Denney. Both wanted to continue after those partnerships ended. Nonetheless, it was a big change for both skaters. Frazier had to start over in a new location, with new coaches (Jenni Meno and Todd Sand). Fortunately, it proved an easy transition.
 
"Todd and Jenni are very professional," Frazier said. "Organizing, teaching technique, putting together programs, the plan--just making sure we get everything we need."
 
Meno and Sand also helped boost Frazier's confidence. "When I got here, they were so complimentary of me," Frazier noted. "And it's something that I honestly wasn't necessarily used to. They have a way of praising what you're good at, but trying to build that into something better, while also working on your weaknesses."
 
For Knierim, it's her first time in years skating with a partner who is just a good friend, and not also her significant other. Knierim reflected on the difference.
 
"We're able to keep things humorous and enjoyable on the ice, because we're just two friends doing the thing that we share a passion for," Knierim said of Frazier. "When you skate with the person you love, and you're dating or married, you can be a little bit more emotional at times. You're more concerned about the other person on a deeper level, which can bring more stress. With Brandon, I always check in to make sure he's doing well. But there is a different energy in the rink when we're training."
 
Knierim and Frazier credit Chris Knierim's support as essential to their partnership. "Having Chris there helped ease a lot of things," Frazier commented.
 
"He has been supportive from the beginning," Knierim said of her husband. "He said the only way he would feel okay with his decision to retire was if I kept going. Because he knew that I wasn't ready to stop. So, for him, it was very important that I found somebody. I couldn't be more fortunate to be married to somebody who is so selfless and able to put any kind of jealousy or ego aside and watch me pursue my dreams. I'm also very fortunate that Brandon and Chris get along very well." Chris Knierim now coaches with Meno and Sand.
 
With a strong team behind them, Knierim and Frazier had a great debut at 2020 Guaranteed Rate Skate America, winning gold. Afterward, the duo started preparing for the U.S. Championships.
 
"We knew in the back of our minds, going into Nationals [U.S. Championships], that we could win again," Knierim said. "But we also knew that the level of skating that our competitors could put out would require us to step up to the plate and skate very clean. We focused on making progress from our last outing."
 
Frazier said that competing in a bubble, with COVID-19 restrictions, placed unique demands on the skaters. "You have to get there a couple days earlier [than usual] to get testing done," he said. "You can't leave the hotel room [until getting test results]. So you're sitting around a lot more than normal. There's a little difference in the physique from your normal heavy training week at home. There's more discomfort toward the end of that long program, and having to push more physically to get the job done."
 
Nonetheless, Knierim and Frazier delivered two strong performances. Frazier commented on the lack of an audience: "I think it was actually a bit of an advantage. Alexa and I can't wait to get in front of a live crowd. But being the new team, and not having thousands of people [there], makes you feel like you're at home, doing what you do every day. We did execute everything, and did it in a calm and day-to-day manner."
 
Knierim and Frazier were named to the U.S. team for the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2021 in Stockholm. The event is scheduled for March 22-28. In addition, Knierim and Frazier must submit videos of their programs by February 19 to hopefully attain the technical element minimum scores.
 
"We just try not to worry," Knierim said of the uncertainties. "If we don't wind up going to Worlds due to the points pending, or the fact that the Championships are canceled, we'll just find the positivity in that and start building for next year. For now, we'll stay in the moment and wait for decisions."
 
But there is no question of their desire to compete. "We would love to go to the World Championships more than anything," Knierim said. "If they find a way to host it and do it safely, we definitely want to be there. Obviously, safety first; we don't want to put anyone in harm's way. But if the opportunity comes, we will definitely take it."
 
Knierim and Frazier have not yet considered if they will keep their current programs for the 2021-22 Olympic season. "We'll make that decision when the season has come to a close," Knierim said. "We've done so much training with our programs that I feel that we would like to do something new. We'll see."
 
Looking further ahead, Frazier chuckled when asked if the team might continue competing past the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. "If you asked me that question a couple of years ago, I could have given you an exact date when I would retire, or given you my 5- or 10-year plan," he said. "But now, with everything going on, we truly are staying with one day at a time. One season at a time. We definitely love this sport so much; we've given up our lives for it. We're just trying to enjoy it and get better at it. The answer will start to unwrap itself the closer we get."