Amber Glenn, left, and Ilia Malinen

Skate America returns to North Texas for the second consecutive year

COY COVINGTON | Contributing Writer
coyact@aol.com

Figure skating fans who are headed up the pike this weekend for Skate America, being held in Allen for the second consecutive year, may be plucked to learn that U.S. National Women’s Champion Amber Glenn, the pride of Plano, won’t be there. This year she begins her Grand Prix season at Skate Canada, happening next week in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The Grand Prix of Figure Skating is a series of senior international skating competitions organized by the International Skating Union. The invitational series hits six nations around the world. This year we’ll see competitions not only in America but also Canada, France, Japan, Finland and China.

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Skate America Schedule

Friday, Oct. 18
5:59 p.m.: Pairs Short Program
7:25 p.m.: Women’s Short Program
Saturday, Oct. 19
1:03 p.m.: Rhythm Dance
2:43 p.m.: Pairs Free Skate
5:15 p.m.: Men’s Short Program
7:06 p.m.: Women’s Free Skate
Sunday, Oct. 20
11:04 a.m.: Men’s Free Skate
1:22 p.m.: Free Dance
6:45 p.m.: Prevagen Skating Spectacular

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After the preliminary rounds, the top six qualifiers will then duke it out in each discipline: Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Pair Skating and Ice Dance in the Grand Prix Final to be contested in Grenoble, France.

The 2024 edition of Skate America toe-picks off tonight (Friday, Oct. 18) at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen (yep, figure skating in Texas!) with the Pairs Short Program and Women’s Short Program (even though it will be without Amber Glenn).

Glenn is a fascinating, hard-scrabble kind of skater who once had the reputation of frustratingly inconsistent performances. However, in the last few years she has trained harder while becoming more chill and, at the same time, more confident. Could be she’s picked up some swagger by being the only U.S. woman currently with a triple Axel tucked in her Coach handbag.

After many failed attempts, Glenn landed her first clean triple Axel last year at Skate America. The large crowd — including many fans, family and Plano pals — went absolutely berserk when she hit the jump, screaming and clapping and stomping their feet. It was pandemonium and definitely threw Glenn off her game as she tanked the rest of the program and landed in a dismal fifth place.

Although she took it, literally, sitting down, Glenn didn’t let it slay her. She kept working and skated on with her season, and, a full decade after she reigned as the U.S. junior champion, she won the senior golden crown at the 2024 U.S. Nationals.

Yep, she’s a queen alright. Rather, that is to say, she’s queer.

In 2019 Glenn came out as bisexual/pansexual to this reporter in this publication. Although neither of us expected it, the story went national and even international in the skating world. So, yes, the queer pride of Plano (she was born and lived there until 2022) became the very first out queer singles skater to win an American national title!

When I caught up with Glenn at Nationals in San Jose we laughed about the response. “It was insane,” she chuckled.

But was it good or bad insane?

“I mean, any big thing like that is going to have some good and some bad,” she said. “I truly felt an overwhelming amount of support, but there are always going to be people who hate on you. I thought this was going to be my first baby steps, but it ended up, like, fully diving in, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

For those who feel the sting of not seeing Glenn skate this year in Allen, don’t hissy. There’s lots to see at this edition of Skate America. Many have their eye on out, queer Kévin Aymoz of France. He’s been a bit inconsistent over the years, but he’s also had much success as the 2019–20 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, a five time ISU Grand Prix medalist and a five-time French national champion.

Aymoz represented France at the 2022 Winter Olympics, where he finished 12th. He has placed as high as fourth at the World Championships (2023), and twice finished fourth at the European Championships (2019, 2023).

Aymoz was also the 2023 silver medalist here at Skate America. Known as handsome (indeed, some would say sexy), Aymoz is an electrifying artistic skater with intricate and astounding programs and a frequent fan favorite. After the silver at Skate America, he continued the hot streak on the Grand Prix circuit, taking the bronze medal at the 2023 Grand Prix of Espoo (Finland) and qualifying for the Grand Prix final in Saitama, Japan.

Then the wheels fell off. He bombed the second half of his 2024 season, placing an embarrassing seventh at French Nationals after a catastrophic long program. Despite his low national ranking, Aymoz was sent to the 2024 European Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania.

His struggles continued, and he placed a shattering 31st in the short program, failing even to qualify for the free skate. Devastating.

Afterward, he announced his withdrawal from the 2024 World Championships and all other competitions for the rest of the season, citing a need to work on his mental health and prepare for the next two seasons.

Fans and officials were baffled by the swift decline. Was he injured? Having mental health issues? Simply fatigued? Dunno. But we all thought he’d train for the remainder of the year and come back strong for the 24-25 season.

Then — quelle dommage — came the Master’s de Patinage, an annual domestic French figure skating competition held just a few weeks ago. Aymoz had, arguably, one of the most disastrous free programs in history. He took falls — hard falls — on nearly every jump.

Again, is he injured? In mental distress? Fallen out of love with the sport? It brought to mind Simone Biles and the “twisties” which hit her hard at the 2021 Olympics.

In gymnastics, “twisties” can cause a person to lose their sense of space and dimension as they’re in the air, causing them to lose control of their body. In the worst cases, they can find themselves suddenly unable to land safely.
I’ve never heard of it being a thing in skating, but his performance was sad and hard to watch from a skater with such massive potential. The skating world wishes him a speedy recovery, by whatever means it takes.

But there is no cause for panic, Skate America will have gobs of thrills and feels. First, there is American teen wunderkind, Ilia Malinin. He is the 2024 world champion, 2023–24 Grand Prix Final champion, 2023 world bronze medalist, the 2022-23 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, a six-time Grand Prix medalist (four gold, one silver, one bronze), a three-time ISU Challenger Series medalist (two gold, one bronze), the 2022 U.S. national silver medalist and the 2023 and reigning U.S. champion.

Malinin’s performance at Worlds in Montreal was downright freakish. The 19-year-old (who turns 20 in December) demolished the field, landing the best collection of jumps in one program in figure skating history. First off he executed his astounding signature quadruple Axel (the only person in history to land one cleanly in competition), along with quad Lutz, quad loop, quad Salchow, another quad Lutz (in combination with a triple flip), a quad toe loop (in combo with a triple toe), then tacked on a triple Lutz-triple Axel combo to end his unprecedented four-minute free skate.

It was otherworldly. He even shocked himself a bit: “When I got into the starting position,” he said to NBC Sports, “I knew that this could be the best skate of my life, or it could go terribly wrong.”

As if.

Malinin, the self-proclaimed “Quad God,” also has to-die-for special tricks, most of which he creates himself. His signature “Raspberry Twist” (you’ll know it when you see it) is jaw-dropping and never fails to get a mighty roar from the crowd. He typically throws it in every free program.

This year, if he’s feeling devilish, he might just add a back-flip, now that they are legal again in competitive figure skating after a 40-year ban.

But wait, there’s more. On Saturday, Oct. 19, you can see two-time World Champion Ice Dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates begin the quest for their fifth Skate America title. There’s former U.S. National Women’s Champions Isabeau Levito and Bradie Tennell, popular British ice dancers Lilah Fear and her gay partner Lewis Gibson. And not to be forgotten are the Japanese pairs team of Rika Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who are former World Champions.

You might want to wind your way up to Allen this weekend. There will be Gold, Silver, Bronze, a Raspberry Twist and rhinestones for days.

Hell. You might just flip your Lutz!

Television coverage will air on NBC, E! and stream on Peacock.com. Check local listings