The 2026 US Figure Skating Championships — held in January 2026 ahead of the Milan-Cortina Olympics — delivered the kind of results that set the table for everything that followed. Ilia Malinin won for the fourth time. Amber Glenn won for the third. Madison Chock and Evan Bates set a record that may stand for decades.
Here's a complete breakdown of the results and what they meant.
Men's Singles: Malinin Makes It Four in a Row
Champion: Ilia Malinin (Fairfax, Virginia)
Ilia Malinin won his fourth consecutive US national title, firmly establishing himself as the dominant force in American men's figure skating. His technical package remains unmatched domestically — and arguably globally — and his national championship run now extends the full length of his senior career.
Malinin heads to any competition with the quad axel as his signature element: the first skater in history to land it in competition, he has made it a consistent part of his repertoire rather than a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition. Four consecutive national titles heading into an Olympic year is exactly the kind of momentum that looks like destiny.
What happened at the Olympics — a rare collapse in the free skate — served as a reminder that destiny in figure skating is not a guarantee. But the national title was real, and the quality of skating that earned it was unmistakable.
Women's Singles: Amber Glenn's Third Consecutive Title
Champion: Amber Glenn (Allen, Texas)
Amber Glenn won her third consecutive US national title, cementing her position as the leader of American women's figure skating.
Glenn's path to three consecutive national titles is one of the more remarkable stories in recent American figure skating. She has been open about an eating disorder and mental health treatment that interrupted her competitive development, and the consistency she has shown over the past three national championship cycles reflects both her talent and the work she has done to sustain it.
Her triple axel — which she landed at the Olympics in the team event — is the element that has elevated her standing in the sport. Only a small number of women have ever landed the jump in major competition. Glenn can, and does.
The women's national title in an Olympic year carries particular weight. Glenn went to Milan-Cortina as the national champion and skated with the emotional presence that her story demands.
Ice Dance: Chock and Bates Set an All-Time Record
Champions: Madison Chock and Evan Bates
Madison Chock and Evan Bates won their seventh US ice dance title — a record for the most ice dance national championships in US figure skating history.
The previous record was six, shared by several teams. Chock and Bates now stand alone at the top of the American ice dance record book, which is a remarkable statement about how long and how well they have competed together.
Their programs this season drew some of the highest Program Component scores of their career. The partnership has deepened over a decade of competing together in a way that shows in every element — the blade quality, the transitions, the connection between two skaters who have spent thousands of hours on the ice together.
The silver medal at Milan-Cortina was bittersweet given the judging controversy. But the national championship record is theirs to keep.
Pairs: Efimova and Mitrofanov Win the Title
Champions: Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov
Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov won the pairs national title, continuing to build on a partnership that has emerged as one of the more promising in US pairs skating. While American pairs have historically struggled to match the international level of singles and ice dance, Efimova and Mitrofanov represent genuine development in the discipline.
The Olympic Context
The US Championships in January served as the final major audition before Olympic team selection. In practice, the selections were largely predetermined for the top names — Malinin, Glenn, Chock, and Bates were always going to be on the team. But the nationals result matters for the athletes' own momentum and confidence heading into the biggest competition of the Olympic cycle.
Malinin's fourth title sent him to Milan-Cortina as the heavy favorite in men's singles. Glenn's third sent her as an emotional frontrunner with a story the world would eventually get to hear. Chock and Bates' record-setting seventh sent them as the most experienced and accomplished ice dance team in American history.
What happened at the Olympics — Liu's gold, Malinin's fall, Glenn's triple axel, the ice dance controversy — is covered in detail in our full Olympic recap.
US Figure Skating: Where to Watch and Learn More
The US Figure Skating Championships are held annually in January, typically in a different city each year. The event is broadcast on NBC and Peacock, with full streaming coverage available for those who can't watch live.
US Figure Skating's website (usfigureskating.org) is the authoritative source for results, skater profiles, and information about Learn to Skate programs in your area. Most of the rinks in our directory offer Learn to Skate programs affiliated with US Figure Skating — use our rink finder to locate options near you.