If you only watched the highlights of the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, you probably think it was just another day at the office for the favorites. Ilia Malinin jumping out of the building. Madison Chock and Evan Bates looking like they’ve found the fountain of youth. Amber Glenn doing her thing. But honestly? That’s not even half the story.
The atmosphere inside Intrust Bank Arena was... intense. It wasn’t just about who won; it was about the weird, gritty, and sometimes heartbreaking ways they got there. You had champions skating through illness, a retirement comeback that almost upended the entire women’s field, and a technical display in the men’s event that literally rewrote what we thought was possible on two blades of steel.
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Why the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships Actually Changed Everything
Most people look at the final standings and move on. They see Ilia Malinin at the top and think "of course." But if you actually look at the protocols, Malinin’s performance was kind of a mess by his own impossible standards—and it was still historic. He landed six quads. Six. He fell on a quad loop, looked human for a second, and still beat the silver medalist, Andrew Torgashev, by nearly 47 points.
That gap is staggering. It’s not just a win; it’s a statement that the rest of the field is playing a completely different sport. But here’s the thing: Torgashev’s silver was arguably the most emotional moment of the week. After years of injuries and "what-ifs," seeing him put together two clean programs was the kind of validation that makes figure skating worth watching. He wasn't trying to be the "Quad God." He was just trying to be Andrew.
The Women’s Event Was Absolute Chaos
If the men’s event was a foregone conclusion, the women’s event was a heart-attack-inducing sprint to the finish. Amber Glenn won her second straight title, but it was by the skin of her teeth. 1.46 points. That is the margin that separated her from Alysa Liu.
Remember, Alysa Liu basically walked away from the sport after the 2022 Olympics. She was done. Then, she realized she missed it, came back, and nearly won the whole thing after two and a half years away. Her short program was a masterclass in "I still got it," leading the field and putting massive pressure on Glenn.
Amber had to pull out the only triple Axel of the entire women's competition to claw her way back. She fell on a triple loop later in the program, and for a minute, the arena went silent. You could feel the math happening in real-time. But her grit—that "Texas tough" mentality—pushed her through. It was the second-narrowest victory in the history of the U.S. Championships.
Behind the Scenes: The Stuff the TV Cameras Missed
There was a lot of "skating through the pain" happening in Wichita. In the ice dance event, Madison Chock and Evan Bates won their record-tying sixth title, matching the legendary Meryl Davis and Charlie White. But behind the scenes, Chock was reportedly under the weather.
They looked smooth to the casual observer, but you could see the effort in the closing lifts of their "Take Five" free dance. They weren't just competing against the field; they were competing against their own exhaustion.
A Tragic Turn for Maxim Naumov
We have to talk about Maxim Naumov. He had a brilliant free skate, jumping from seventh place all the way to fourth to grab the pewter medal. It was a career-defining rally. But the joy of that moment was shattered just three days later when his parents—former world champion pair skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov—were tragically killed in a plane crash.
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It casts a heavy shadow over what was otherwise a celebratory event. It reminds you that these athletes are real people with real lives that exist far beyond the 4-minute-and-30-second window they get on the ice.
Real Insights for the 2025-2026 Season
So, what does this all actually mean for the future? If you’re a fan, here are the "actionable" takeaways from the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships:
- The Quad Gap is Real: Unless someone else starts training a Quad Axel or a five-quad program, Malinin is untouchable. The race for silver is the "real" race for everyone else.
- Experience vs. Youth: We saw veterans like Bradie Tennell (who finished 4th) and Alysa Liu proving that maturity and "program components" still matter. The judges are rewarding skaters who can actually tell a story, not just rotate fast.
- The Pair's Power Vacuum: With Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov taking their first title, the pairs discipline is finally stabilizing after a few years of revolving doors.
The road to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina basically started in Wichita. We saw the core of the team take shape—Glenn, Liu, and the rising Sarah Everhardt for the women; Malinin, Torgashev, and Camden Pulkinen for the men.
Your Next Steps to Follow the Sport
If you want to keep up with how these results impact the World Championships and the upcoming Olympic season, stop just checking the scores on social media.
- Watch the Full Free Skates: Go back and watch Sarah Everhardt’s "Firebird." It was the breakout performance of the week and showed she's a legit threat for an Olympic spot.
- Monitor the ISU World Standings: These national results determine who gets the "assignments" for the big international shows.
- Check the Protocols: If you really want to be an expert, look at the "Grade of Execution" (GOE) scores. That’s where the 2025 championships were won and lost.
The 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships weren't just a competition. They were a survival test. Some skaters proved they were ready for the global stage, while others showed they’ve still got a lot of work to do before the Olympic rings are calling.