The speakers at The Skating Club of Boston blasted Lady Gaga’s “911” and “Rain on Me” last August as Mariah Bell glided across the ice during a dynamic short program for the Cranberry Cup International, choreographed by Cordero Zuckerman (aka drag queen Denali Foxx) and Adam Rippon (the 2018 Olympic bronze medalist in figure skating’s team event). It wasn’t the first time Bell had used upbeat, dance-pop songs in competition—her programs in previous years were backed by Britney Spears, ABBA and P!nk—but as the Beijing Games neared, the ’22 U.S. national champion knew she needed to make a switch.
“It was so fun, but ultimately it’s just not in my wheelhouse,” says Bell, 25, from Tulsa. “This is an Olympic year, so everybody is trying to play to their strengths, and everybody has something different that they skate well to. For me, it’s definitely a slower song.”
Orlando Ramirez/USA TODAY Sports; Illustrations by Michael Byers
