In a lot of ways, the intrigue this week in the men’s event at the 2026 US Figure Skating Championships won’t be about who wins—Ilia Malinin has just been so far ahead of the rest of the pack that it’s hard to see any outcome other than him winning his fourth consecutive title. The intrigue, however, will be about the fight for the other two Olympic spots, with Jason Brown having an edge from the past year of results and a surging Tomoki Hiwatashi looking to beat out Andrew Torgashev for a spot. The American men have been bringing it to Nationals the past few years, and let’s hope it’ll be the same this year.
US Championships predictions
Official hashtag: #PrevagenUSChamps
GOLD Ilia Malinin - The US Championships will be the stepping stone for Malinin, who has been the US hope for a second consecutive men’s title at the Olympics after Nathan Chen won it in Beijing in 2022. And the dominance has been real, with a total of one loss in the past three seasons (and three losses in this entire Olympic cycle). At the Grand Prix Final last month, he pulled off a historic free skate. How does he set himself up this week for Milano in a month?
SILVER Jason Brown - Much like with Alysa Liu, the fact that we are talking about Jason Brown in 2026 would have been a surprise for crystal ball gazers four years ago. Many—including Brown himself—thought the Beijing Olympics would have been his swan song, but the love of competition and the prospect of skating in front of crowds again after the COVID seasons kept bringing him back. And he has been solidly the number two American man for the entire Olympic cycle. Last season had something of a scare with equipment issues, but he eventually got it back together to help earn the US three spots for Milano. He has been solid but not spectacular this season—can he bring it up another notch this week?
BRONZE Tomoki Hiwatashi - Of the unexpected things of this season, I don’t think Tomoki Hiwatashi throwing himself squarely in the Olympic conversation was on many people’s bingo cards. After all, he has not been consistent for a number of seasons and hasn’t been on the US podium since 2020. But after his move to Japan to train, he’s put out a number of strong skates this season and finds himself in a very different position coming into St. Louis.
4. Andrew Torgashev - The reigning US silver medalist made his second World team last season. After a solid start to his season with a silver at Nebelhorn Trophy, he’s had some trouble with putting down the skates that he’s been wanting to deliver. But given how close it has been between him and Hiwatashi, it will likely end up being whoever wins the matchup here going to the Olympics. The key for him will be the quad toe, which has been the stagesetter for him this season.
5. Maxim Naumov - Behind Hiwatashi and Torgashev this season but not out of it yet, Naumov can very well make a case for himself here for the Olympic spot. Naumov is no stranger to throwing down his best skating at Nationals, and he’s been fourth the past three seasons here.
6. Jacob Sanchez - The potential is very much there for Sanchez, but he hasn’t had the Olympic season he was hoping for with a lot of inconsistent skating on the international stage. At this point, he’s likely looking to vie for a Four Continents spot, but this competition could also be a great setup for him for the next Olympic cycle.
7. Lucius Kazanecki - Speaking of potential, Kazanecki has been quietly making waves on the junior scene this season, most recently taking bronze at the Junior Grand Prix Final. And because of his Junior Grand Prix Final berth, he actually puts himself in the criteria to be considered for the Olympic team. He’s a huge longshot still, but like Sanchez, he will be looking to set himself up for the next Olympic cycle.
8. Jimmy Ma - In his 12th US Championships, Ma will bring the house down with his charisma and his unwavering commitment to his material. It’s been a tough season for him results-wise, and you hope he can put down something to be proud of in what could be his final season.
9. Liam Kapeikis - After a couple of seasons where his jumps abandoned him, Kapeikis seems to have recovered some of the form that took him all the way to sixth at Nationals three years ago.
10. Daniel Martynov - 11th here last year, Martynov has made a couple of coaching changes the past year, and will be looking to return to the top ten here this season.