Ilia Malinin, Men’s Free Skate
Malinin enters the 2026 event as a three-time defending U.S. champion, claiming gold in 2023-25. He is a two-time World champion and three-time Grand Prix final champion, and will look to add to his lengthy and impressive resume at the U.S. Championships.
An incredibly talented skater, already one of the best to ever take to the ice, he became the first athlete ever to land all six quadruple jumps at the 2025 World Championships, accomplishing the feat in one single program.
He landed five different quads in a single program at the 2025 Skate Canada International event.
Nicknamed the “Quad God,” he is the clear favorite to win the gold at this year’s U.S. event and earn his Olympic berth at the same time.
Alysa Liu, Women’s Free Skate
Liu has won gold twice at the U.S. Championships, in 2019 and 2020 and was a member of the 2022 Olympic team. After finishing sixth at those Olympics, she retired from competition, returning to the ice in 2025.
Since lacing her skates once again, she captured the Grand Prix Final title, won gold at Skate America, and silver at Cup of China.
Most impressively, after three years on the sidelines, Liu won the world championship in 2025, setting herself up for redemption at the 2026 Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy.
A strong performance at this year’s US Championships will all but confirm her for the Olympic team, where she will most likely be joined by Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito, both of whom rank among her toughest competition at this year’s U.S. event.
