Stars to watch at the 2024 US Figure Skating Championship this weekend

The best figure skaters in the world are in ready for the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, hosted in Columbus, Ohio! According to Bleacher Report, around 180 competitors will showcase their abilities in singles, pairs, and ice dance throughout the week-long event. The competition started on the 22nd of January and is about to enter the most exciting stages this weekend, with a thrilling grand final on the 28th!

Ice skating is a hypnotizing sport that involves gliding on ice using specially designed skates. Whether it's the fluid movements of figure skating, the thrill of ice hockey, or the sheer joy of recreational skating, the sport appeals to people of all ages and backgrounds!

Madison Chock enters the competition as a clear favorite following her great form throughout the year. The Californian-born figure skater is arguably one of the best ice skaters in the sport! She earned 2nd place during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

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Chock's partner and fiancee Evan Bates joined the Californian skater in the pairs competition. Bleacher Report describes the American duo "as the best pairs skaters in the country, having won gold in the last two years as well as 2020 and 2015."

So far, the power couple has ranked first in every showdown in Columbus! They achieved a first-place finish in the Championship Ice Dance competition, with a score of 92.7! In 2023, they both set the record for the highest score in free dance, leaving many fans with great expectations for 2024. The couple has 3 Olympics and over 80 major events under their belt.

The Cut magazine analyzed the American couple's season design, highlighting their Pink Floyd music alongside a Salvador Dali-inspired melting-clock costume, encompassing the theme behind "liberating yourself from the concept of time."

Another important figure to keep an eye on is Ilia Malinin, who achieved a gold medal at the US Championships in 2023. The experienced skater wowed the ice skating world with a quad-axel move in 2022, becoming the first skater to ever successfully execute the manoeuvre. Will he be able to defend his title?

Another favorite for silverware is Philadelphia native Isabeau Levito, who arrives in Columbus looking to replicate her great performance from a year ago. The American skater finished first in the Women's Championships program after a 75.38 score, will she make the finals again?

The 16-year-old skater became the first American woman to win a gold medal at the French Grand Prix in seven years, as reported by NBC Sports.

All eyes are on the final which will take place on January 28th. Who will take the gold and the glory of the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships? Who is your winner?