Eighteen U.S. skaters will compete at home ice at 2023 Humana Skate America – the first of six stops of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series – set for Oct. 20-22 in Allen, Texas.
With the maximum three entries in each discipline, Team USA is composed of a mix of veteran athletes and first-time Grand Prix competitors. The United States returns four of last year's Skate America medalists in
Madison Chock and Evan Bates,
Ilia Malinin,
Isabeau Levito and
Amber Glenn. Seven U.S. skaters will make their Grand Prix debut in Allen.
Three experienced ice dance teams who know their way around an international podium are heading to Allen this week.
Reigning World champions Chock and Bates headline the ice dance lineup for Team USA. Making their season debut, the four-time U.S. champions are looking to defend their Skate America title and win their fourth gold at the event.
Coming off a breakthrough season of their own,
Caroline Green and Michael Parsons return to Skate America after earning silver at the 2023 U.S. Championships and competing at their first World Championships in March. Last season, the 2022 Four Continents champions secured their first-ever Grand Prix medal at NHK Trophy.
2022 World Junior champions
Oona Brown and Gage Brown round out the U.S. ice dance teams. In their second season competing in the Grand Prix Series, the Browns will take the ice at Skate America for the first time.
Last season, U.S. women clinched two of the three podium spots at Skate America, and both are back this season.
In her first senior international season, Levito claimed silver at her two Grand Prix assignments, including at Skate America, as well as the Grand Prix Final. The 2023 U.S. champion started her season on top of the podium with gold at Nebelhorn Trophy.
Dallas local and 2022 Skate America medalist Glenn is looking to build on her bronze when she competes for the first time this season in front of a home crowd in Texas. Following her first Grand Prix medal, Glenn took bronze at the U.S. Championships to secure a berth on her first World Championship team.
Clare Seo is competing at the senior level this season for the first time internationally and has found success early. She will compete back-to-back weekends after clinching bronze at Budapest Trophy last weekend.
In the men's event, three of the four U.S. Championships medalists will represent Team USA.
Creating a splash on the senior scene, Malinin finished on the podium at every event in his senior international debut season, winning gold at both Grand Prix events, including Skate America where he became the youngest champion in the event's history. He went on to win his first U.S. title and bronze at the World Championships. This season, Malinin is off to a perfect start with gold at the 2023 Autumn Classic.
Maxim Naumov competed at Skate America in 2020 when it was held as a domestic event due to COVID-19, but 2023 marks Naumov's first time competing at a full-fledged Grand Prix. The 2023 U.S. pewter medalist, Naumov ended his season at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, where he finished 10th.
After battling injuries and being out of competition for more than two years,
Andrew Torgashev roared back last season, earning bronze at the U.S. Championships to punch his ticket to the World Championships. To start the 2023-24 season, Torgashev claimed bronze at Lombardia Trophy, and will make his Grand Prix debut in Allen.
In the pairs event,
Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez enter the competition with their eyes on a medal. Competing at Skate America for the second straight year, Plazas and Fernandez earned sixth last year and fifth at Skate Canada International.
Team USA's other two pairs teams will make their Skate America debut. In their first season together,
Chelsea Liu and Balazs Nagy finished fourth at their first international competition, the Autumn Classic. In their first senior season,
Isabelle Martins and Ryan Bedard placed right behind Liu and Nagy in fifth at the Autumn Classic and will take to the ice at a Grand Prix for the first time.
Competition begins Friday with the pairs and men's short programs. Skate America then continues Saturday with the rhythm dance and pairs free skate in the first session and the women's short program and men's free skate in the evening session. On Sunday, the event concludes with the free dance and women's free skate.
Fans can watch Team USA live on Peacock Premium. Skate America will also be broadcast live on E! with a recap show on NBC on Sunday. Find the full broadcast schedule on
usfigureskatingfanzone.com and the Peacock streaming schedule on
peacocktv.com/skating.
The Grand Prix Series, which started in 1995, consists of six international events in a cumulative point-scoring format. Each athlete or team is eligible to score points in up to two of the six scheduled events. The top six point-earners in each discipline qualify for the 2023 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, set for Dec. 7-10 in Beijing, China.
For a full schedule, results, news and more, visit the
Skate America Competition Central.
U.S. ENTRIES AT 2023 HUMANA SKATE AMERICA
Athlete | Hometown | Training Town
Women
Amber Glenn | Plano, Texas | Colorado Springs, Colo.
Isabeau Levito | Mount Holly, N.J. | Mount Laurel, N.J.
Clare Seo | Colorado Springs, Colo. | Colorado Springs, Colo.
Men
Ilia Malinin | Vienna, Va. | Reston, Va.
Maxim Naumov | Norwood, Mass. | Norwood, Mass.
Andrew Torgashev | Lake Forest, Fla. | Irvine, Calif.
Pairs
Chelsea Liu and Balazs Nagy | Irvine, Calif.; Budapest, Hungary | Irvine, Calif.
Isabelle Martins and Ryan Bedard | Lake Barrington, Ill.; McHenry, Ill. | Irvine, Calif.
Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez | Pembroke Pines, Fla.; Miami, Fla. | Canton, Mich.
Ice Dance
Madison Chock and Evan Bates | Redondo Beach, Calif.; Ann Arbor, Mich. | Montreal, Quebec
Caroline Green and Michael Parsons | Rockville, Md.; Derwood, Md. | Canton, Mich.
Oona Brown and Gage Brown | Long Island, N.Y.; Long Island, N.Y. | Huntington, N.Y.
