Madison Chock and Evan Bates have been the best American ice dancers for years. Best in the world, too. They only served to underscore that fact on Saturday, when they won their fourth consecutive title at the US figure skating championships and sixth overall, which matched the record held by longtime standard-bearers Meryl Davis and Charlie White.
![[Ilia Malinin skates during US nationals on Saturday in Kansas.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7434e45c08a14838aff9197369481b8714a9fc8a/0_0_2411_1487/master/2411.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Chock and Bates followed up their sublime rhythm dance with a winning free dance, totaling 223.52 points to easily outdistance second-place Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko. Caroline Green and Michael Parsons finished third. Schedule. All times EST.
Thu 23 Jan. • Pairs’ Short, 6.05-8pm, Peacock. • Pairs’, Women’s Shorts, 7-11pm, USA. • Women’s Short, 8.20-11pm, Peacock. Fri 24 Jan. • Rhythm Dance, 5.12-7.30pm, Peacock. • Rhythm Dance, 6-7.30pm, USA. • Women’s Free, 7.47-11pm, Peacock. • Women’s Free, 8-11pm, NBC/Peacock.
Sat 25 Jan. • Men’s Short (Groups 1, 2), 11am-12.40pm, Peacock. • Free Dance (Groups 1, 2), 12.50-2.30pm, Peacock. • Men’s Short, Free Dance, 2.30-4.30pm, NBC/Peacock. • Men’s Short (Group 3), 2.36-3.30pm, Peacock. • Free Dance (Group 3), 3.30-4.30pm, Peacock.
• Pairs’ Free, 7:35-10pm, Peacock. • Pairs’ Free, 8-10pm, USA. Sun 26 Jan. • Men’s Free, 2.45-6pm, Peacock. • Men’s Free, 4-6pm, NBC/Peacock. “It means honestly the world,” Bates said. “The US championships is always an event that we hold near and dear to our hearts. I think it’s because it’s the competition that we grew up coming to every January, watching every year on TV as kids. It’s what made us fall in love with the sport. There’s something incredibly magical about this event.”.
