U.S. Men 2024-25 news & updates

[Allskate]

Thanks so much! Very smart kid. Is the gap year 2025-26?

Yes. He's about to graduate from high school. There's some discussion of his decision earlier in this thread.

And here is his Instagram post announcing it: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJP-IsIy49j/?img_index=1

He had mentioned in an interview last fall that he was applying to colleges in California, Boston, Toronto, and his native Washington state. (He spent time last summer training at the Cricket Club in Toronto.) I guess he decided to go to school in California but first take a year to train in Toronto. Assuming he is healthy, he does have an outside shot at making the Olympic team.

 

[YukiNieve]

Max Naumov was interviewed by a local Boston station ahead of his appearance in Stars on Ice this weekend

Thanks！ A thoughtful and great interview.

 

[Allskate]

In case you missed it, here's a more lighthearted interview with Max Naumov:

U.S. Figure Skating on Instagram: "We're breaking the ice!⛸️🧊Welcome to our new series where you can get to know the personalities, passions and stories of our #TeamUSA athletes on the road to the 2026 Olympics. First up: three-time U.S. pewter meda

3,526 likes, 51 comments - usfigureskating on May 14, 2025: "We're breaking the ice!⛸️🧊Welcome to our new series where you can get to know the personalities, passions and stories of our #TeamUSA athletes on the road to the 2026 Olympics. First up: three-time U.S. pewter medalist Maxim Naumov...

www.instagram.com

 

[YukiNieve]

Jason Brown will headline Sun Valley on Ice on August 23.
And...who is in the picture?

Sun Valley on Ice Featuring Jason Brown

From seasonal festivals to daily activities, Sun Valley always has something wonderful happening. Check our calendar and ensure you don't miss out on the fun.

www.sunvalley.com

He will also skate for Friends on Ice in Japan on August 30 and 31.
When will the Champs Camp be held this year?

 

[Karen-W]

Jason Brown will be a headliner for Sun Valley on Ice on August 23.
And...who is in the picture?

Sun Valley on Ice Featuring Jason Brown

From seasonal festivals to daily activities, Sun Valley always has something wonderful happening. Check our calendar and ensure you don't miss out on the fun.

www.sunvalley.com

He will also skate for Friends on Ice in Japan on August 30 and 31.
When will the Champs Camp be held this year?

Last year Champs Camp was mid-August - the week after Cranberry Cup, IIRC. I presume it will be early again this year since everyone is in Olympic season mode.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Jason Brown will headline Sun Valley on Ice on August 23.
And...who is in the picture?

Sun Valley on Ice Featuring Jason Brown

From seasonal festivals to daily activities, Sun Valley always has something wonderful happening. Check our calendar and ensure you don't miss out on the fun.

www.sunvalley.com

Wow, Jason has really changed.

 

[eurodance2001]

Wow, Jason has really changed.

This looks like a bald Steven Cousins

 

[tony]

It’s Jean-Simon Legare

 

[barbk]

The SOI Brothers in Arms routine has a cool section beginning around 1:45 where Ilia and Jason are skating the same choreography. They're both great skaters, but you can see a real difference between them movement-wise. Ilia is stronger at the (one) jump, but Jason has nuance and power in movement that Ilia hasn't quite achieved yet. It will be cool to see what Ilia does as he gains a few more seasons of experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izTY3g8Js0A

 

[panda42]

The SOI Brothers in Arms routine has a cool section beginning around 1:45 where Ilia and Jason are skating the same choreography. They're both great skaters, but you can see a real difference between them movement-wise. Ilia is stronger at the (one) jump, but Jason has nuance and power in movement that Ilia hasn't quite achieved yet. It will be cool to see what Ilia does as he gains a few more seasons of experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izTY3g8Js0A

Ilia has come a long way artistically in a short time. He isn't at the level of Jason (and may never be), but I appreciate that he is making the effort to expand his skills and be viewed as more than just a jumper.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

I think Ilia, like Nathan, is capable of bringing a good performance where he connects to the music. Like Nathan, I suspect he will always struggle to do so in the free skate until all the jumps are done.

 

[Aceon6]

I think Ilia, like Nathan, is capable of bringing a good performance where he connects to the music. Like Nathan, I suspect he will always struggle to do so in the free skate until all the jumps are done.

At SOI last night, I was close enough to get a really good look at Ilia and Jason doing the same choreo. Ilia seemed to get a better initial push but Jason maintained speed better. Jason just eases his body into the right spot to maintain the glide. And I noticed that Ilia was working towards matching Jason’s or Evan’s body and arm positions when they were close together.

 

[panda42]

At SOI last night, I was close enough to get a really good look at Ilia and Jason doing the same choreo. Ilia seemed to get a better initial push but Jason maintained speed better. Jason just eases his body into the right spot to maintain the glide. And I noticed that Ilia was working towards matching Jason’s or Evan’s body and arm positions when they were close together.

Both very good role models! If Ilia is a generational jumper, we might say the same for Jason's artistry. I could see him transitioning to dance and having success as Daisuke Takahashi has.

 

[Wyliefan]

I think Ilia, like Nathan, is capable of bringing a good performance where he connects to the music. Like Nathan, I suspect he will always struggle to do so in the free skate until all the jumps are done.

It's not the same thing exactly. Nathan brought style and musicality even during the parts of the program when he wasn't really performing.

 

[Allskate]

The SOI Brothers in Arms routine has a cool section beginning around 1:45 where Ilia and Jason are skating the same choreography. They're both great skaters, but you can see a real difference between them movement-wise. Ilia is stronger at the (one) jump, but Jason has nuance and power in movement that Ilia hasn't quite achieved yet. It will be cool to see what Ilia does as he gains a few more seasons of experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izTY3g8Js0A

Thanks for posting this. I've managed to see videos of most of the group numbers, but not this one. I used to go to SOI every year, and the group numbers were my favorite part. Kurt Browning and Alissa Czisny did a great job with the choreography this year. I think it's a great experience for Ilia and the other skaters to work with them and perform their choreography to a range of songs. Jason has amazing range and is so versatile, and I think Ilia has really improved a lot. Personally, I really like Jason's jumps even though he doesn't have the difficulty and height that Ilia does. They are both great in their own ways IMO, and it is not as simple as technical versus presentation.

It's not the same thing exactly. Nathan brought style and musicality even during the parts of the program when he wasn't really performing.

Always? Even earlier in his career? I didn't think so. IMO, both Ilia and Nathan were more jumper than artist, especially earlier in their careers. And I think both worked hard to improve the presentation side of their skating even though they enjoy the jumping more and the jumping affects competition placements more. A few years ago, I definitely preferred Nathan to Ilia, but that is not the case anymore.

 

[BittyBug]

Jason has 10 years on Ilia, time he has used to refine his presentation skills, tackle challenging music and choreography, and master his control over his core. To wit, the Jason Brown that wowed us all with Riverdance was not yet the Jason Brown who was absolutely transfixing in Spiegel im Spiegel. Malinin continues to improve, and while he may never quite match Jason's expressive command over his body, I think Ilia is demonstrating his ability to continue to develop his artistry. To Build a Home was spellbinding in person, so he has the potential. (Before that program I didn't realize Malinin was capable of that level of nuanced interpretation.)

 

[Wyliefan]

Always? Even earlier in his career? I didn't think so.

Not when he was very young, certainly. But it didn't take him that long to develop his style. As early as "Le Corsaire" you can see it.

 

[Allskate]

Not when he was very young, certainly. But it didn't take him that long to develop his style. As early as "Le Corsaire" you can see it.

We'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

It's not the same thing exactly. Nathan brought style and musicality even during the parts of the program when he wasn't really performing.

Nathan was pretty constantly called out for being only a jumper during his senior career as well as for not performing until the jumps were done.

 

[Wyliefan]

Nathan was pretty constantly called out for being only a jumper during his senior career as well as for not performing until the jumps were done.

Yes, I'm aware that many people did that. They were wrong.

(Re: the performing, read again what I wrote -- that he displayed style and musicality even before he would get to the post-jump performing part.)

 

[Allskate]

(Re: the performing, read again what I wrote -- that he displayed style and musicality even before he would get to the post-jump performing part.)

Again, this is your opinion, and others have differing opinions.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I think Chen showed musicality and budding artistry when he was young. I think this receded while he focused on the big jumps, and then he added it back in his last quad.

 

[Aceon6]

I think Chen showed musicality and budding artistry when he was young. I think this receded while he focused on the big jumps, and then he added it back in his last quad.

Young Nathan spent nearly as much time in the ballet studio as he did on the ice. IIRC, he was about 12 when he/Momma Chen focused 100% on skating.

 

[On My Own]

Always? Even earlier in his career? I didn't think so. IMO, both Ilia and Nathan were more jumper than artist, especially earlier in their careers. And I think both worked hard to improve the presentation side of their skating even though they enjoy the jumping more and the jumping affects competition placements more. A few years ago, I definitely preferred Nathan to Ilia, but that is not the case anymore.

I agree with you - and I think it's more like Chen has better positioning and basic skating than Malinin, whereas Malinin is a more charismatic performer.

 

[AYS]

Ilia's been working really hard to improve what we look for when traditionally talking about artistry in skating, such as posture, smoother edging, extension, gaining speed and power more effortlessly, which Nathan was able to do very well at his best, but he has a unique artistry - modern way of moving, projecting emotions, interpreting the music he relates to - which has been apparent for quite some time (and also continues to develop). The emotions his skating elicits in me go way beyond oohing and aahing over his jumps (though there's that too).

I'd agree charismatic is part of it, or a result of it.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Young Nathan spent nearly as much time in the ballet studio as he did on the ice. IIRC, he was about 12 when he/Momma Chen focused 100% on skating.

Based on clips that Ballet West released as a young performer, I would have loved to have seen him as a professional ballet dancer, but his height would have limited him in the classical rep, since his partners would have had to have been quite short.

 

[skatfan]

Yes, I'm aware that many people did that. They were wrong.

(Re: the performing, read again what I wrote -- that he displayed style and musicality even before he would get to the post-jump performing part.)

I agree. Never understood people who said he was only a technician.

 

[zebobes]

If you go back and look at Nathan's performance to Chopin while still at a junior, his beautiful lines are stunning. He found his new style later in life, but I am sad that we never got to see more of that early classical movement, especially since he was injured that year, and couldn't execute things cleanly technically.

 

[her grace]

Chen always had nice posture. His programs were really empty, though.

 

[Vagabond]

Quadruple jumps require an enormous amount of energy that might otherwise be applied to performance, interpretation, and choreography. This is even more so when skaters do multiple quadruples, especially those above the quadruple salchow. The second mark has never reflected this tradeoff properly.