San Francisco (AFP) - Reigning world champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier reclaimed the US Figure Skating pairs crown on Saturday, a year after missing the national championships over Covid concerns.
The pair, who couldn't defend their 2021 national title last year after Frazier tested positive for Covid, dominated again this week in San Jose, California.
Their rousing free skate garnered 146.01 points for a total of 227.97 -- 31.11 points ahead of silver medallists Emily Chan and Spencer Howe's 196.86 total.
Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea were third.
The ice dance crown went to another veteran duo in Madison Chock and Evan Bates.
They won their second straight and fourth national title overall -- the first coming back in 2015.
The three-time world medallists finished with a total of 229.75.
Caroline Green and Michael Parsons were second with 207.46.
The San Jose venue was where Chock and Bates made their very first appearance in the US championships -- finishing fifth in 2012.
"As sport evolves, you see more longevity from athletes in different sports," 30-year-old Chock said."It's a great accomplishment for us to be a part of that group of people.We love working hard and that's something that drives us in our career."
Chock said it was too soon to say if they'd be aiming for a fourth Olympic appearance in Italy in 2026.
"Right now we're fully committed to our own process," Chock said."We don't know what the next four years hold, but we're committed to each other and to our goals."
The veteran winners were a contrast to the young stars emerging in individual competition.
World junior champion Isabeau Levito, 15, won the women's title on Friday and 18-year-old "Quadgod" Ilia Malinin -- who electrified the Grand Prix circuit this season with the first landed quadruple axel jump in competition -- was leading the men's competition going into Sunday's free skate.
