In Survivor: Nashville, a first national title for Mariah Bell
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Mariah Bell during her championship free skate (U.S. Figure Skating photo.)
It was something of a war of attrition, the women’s singles event at these 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Nashville, with Covid or physical issues eliminating one contender after another.
So it was no surprise that the survivor, Mariah Bell, was a skater who had doggedly stuck it out, season after season, before battling through the free skate Friday to win a first national title in her ninth try.
At 25, Bell also became the oldest U.S. women’s champion in the 95 years since Beatrix Loughran won at 26 in 1927.
And, most importantly, no matter that the decision won’t be announced publicly until Saturday afternoon, Bell also claimed a spot on the U.S. team headed to the 2022 Winter Olympics next month in Beijing. The other two places will almost certainly go to Karen Chen, who finished second, and Alysa Liu, forced out of the free skate after testing positive for Covid earlier Friday.
Isabeau Levito, at 14, below the age minimum for the upcoming Olympics, staked out a path toward the 2026 Winter Games by finishing second in the free skate and third overall in her senior national debut.
“My goal was to win a medal, and here I am,” Levito said.
