U. S. Figure Skating announced today the men who will compete at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 as part of the U. S. Olympic Figure Skating Team.
The men’s singles team is Nathan Chen, Adam Rippon and Vincent Zhou.
Nathan Chen is the 2018 U. S. champion, successfully defending his 2017 title. Chen entered the 2018 U. S. Championships as the only undefeated male skater in the 2017-18 season, winning two Grand Prix Series titles and the Grand Prix Final. Chen is the only man in the world to receive credit for landing five different types of quadruple jumps in international competition.
Adam Rippon is the 2016 U. S. champion, and placed fourth at the 2018 Prudential U. S. Figure Skating Championships. After winning silver at both of his Grand Prix Series assignments this season, Rippon earned his second-straight trip to the Grand Prix Final, where he placed fifth.
Vincent Zhou is the 2018 U. S. bronze medalist. He won the 2017 U. S. silver medal and ended last season as the 2017 World Junior champion. Chen has won U. S. titles at the intermediate (2011), novice (2012) and junior (2013) levels.
Alternates for the 2018 men’s Olympic Team have been named as Jason Brown (first alternate), Ross Miner (second alternate), and Max Aaron (third alternate).
Chen, Rippon and Zhou join previously nominated athletes Bradie Tennell, Mirai Nagasu and Karen Chen on the 2018 U. S. Olympic Figure Skating Team.
U. S. Figure Skating will announce the pairs nomination on Sunday, January 7, at 12:45 p.m. ET, followed by the ice dance nominations at 8:55 p.m. ET, along with the United States’ World, World Junior and Four Continents teams for both disciplines.
The 2018 Olympic Winter Games will take place Feb. 9-25, in PyeongChang, South Korea.
U. S. Figure Skating also confirmed that each member of the U. S. Olympic Figure Skating Team is eligible to compete in the Olympic team event. U. S. Figure Skating will work with athletes and their coaches to determine if the athlete will participate in the event.
Each team in the event will consist of one lady, one man, one pairs team and one ice dance team to be selected from athletes who have qualified in their individual disciplines. Each team, however, will be allowed to make up to two exchanges after the short program/dance. Selected athletes named to the U. S. Olympic Figure Skating Team will compete in their respective disciplines in the team event. The team event will consist of the 10 best national teams from NOCs/ISU members.
The five teams with the highest number of points after the short program/dance will qualify for the free skate/dance. In the team event, athletes will receive points based on their finishes in each segment of competition.
All U. S. Olympic Team nominations are subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
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