BARRY WILNER
This photo provided by Figure Skating in Harlem shows Figure Skating in Harlem students performing in the 2022 Ice Show, City of Dreams - A Skating Love Letter to NYC at Riverbank State Park in New York, March 20, 2022. The organization’s objective always has been helping girls of color transform their lives by growing in confidence, leadership and academic achievement. (Larua Differender/Figure Skating in Harlem via AP)
Figure Skating in Harlem: 25 years and growing

By Barry Wilner Apr. 18, 2022 01:21 AM EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — A quarter-century ago, Sharon Cohen founded an organization that, to

Alysa Liu of the U.S celebrates her bronze medal during the women victory ceremony at the Figure Skating World Championships in Montpellier, south of France, Friday, March 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Olympics figure skater Alysa Liu retires at age 16

By Barry Wilner Apr. 09, 2022 03:39 PM EDT
Alysa Liu, a 2022 Olympian and world championships bronze medalist, is retiring from

This handout provided by USA Football shows U.S. women's flag football team defensive back Deliah Autry (10) of Tampa, Fla., celebrating with teammates during a game against Austria at the International Federation of American Football Flag Football world championships in Jerusalem, Israel, Dec. 8, 2021. The NFL is helping wave the flag for flag football to become part of the Olympics. The target is the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. (Adam Pintar/USA Football via AP)
Flag Football seeks spot in 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

By Barry Wilner Jan. 29, 2022 02:44 AM EST
The NFL is helping wave the flag for flag football to become part of the Olympics.

Mariah Bell competes in the women's free skate program during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
Rippon boosts Bell's Olympic chase with advice and support

By Barry Wilner Jan. 25, 2022 12:53 AM EST
As Mariah Bell ripped through two brilliant routines to win her first national

FILE - Adam Rippon of the United States reacts as his score is posted following his performance in the men's free figure skating final in the Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. Rippon, who came out publicly in October 2015, was the first openly gay athlete to represent the United States in Olympic competition. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)
Adam Rippon looks back at his role in 2018 Olympics

By Barry Wilner Jan. 22, 2022 03:12 AM EST
So, it's just another competition? Got to treat the Winter Olympics that way?

FILE - Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker compete in the ice dance program during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. U.S. figure skaters who win national championships get their names inscribed on a plaque and trophy. It's something they relish. It's also something special to peruse the names already there — particularly for ice dancers.(AP Photo/Mark Zaleski, File)
US ice dancers continuing legacy heading to Beijing Games

By Barry Wilner Jan. 20, 2022 10:58 AM EST
U.S. figure skaters who win national championships get their names inscribed on a

FILE - Canadian figure skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier compete in the pairs free program in the Winter Olympics at the Salt Lake Ice Center in Salt Lake City, Monday, Feb. 11, 2002. Tara Lipinski, the 1998 Olympic gold medalist and now an analyst for NBC, partnered with husband Todd Kapostasy on a four-part documentary series on Peacock, NBC's streaming outlet. It's called “MEDDLING” and looks deeply into the impact the judging misdeeds had on the two pairs teams involved: Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze.(AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau, File)
Tara Lipinski and husband examine 2002 skating scandal

By Barry Wilner Jan. 13, 2022 03:02 AM EST
There's one word that always grabs the world's attention in sports: scandal.

Vincent Zhou competes in the men's short program during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
Chen back on game, soars to short program win at nationals

By Barry Wilner Jan. 08, 2022 06:09 PM EST
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Insane. Incredible. Amazing. Awesome. And that

FILE - Nathan Chen performs during the men's short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif., Jan. 4, 2018. Chen, who goes for his sixth consecutive national championship this week at what amounts to the Olympic trials for next month's Beijing Games, has spoken with 2010 gold medalist Evan Lysacek about the path to the top of the podium. Lysacek won in Vancouver with an unmatched artistic program even though he never had the jumps Chen has. Nowadays, every elite male skater has those jumps, led by Chen and his mastery of the quad. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
Chen talked challenge of Olympic gold pursuit with Lysacek

By Barry Wilner Jan. 05, 2022 12:33 PM EST
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nathan Chen already is one of America's most accomplished

Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier react after receiving the top score in the pairs free skate at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Jan. 16, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Top US pairs skaters withdraw from nations due to COVID-19

By Barry Wilner Jan. 05, 2022 12:27 PM EST
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Defending champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier

FILE - Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States perform during the gala exhibition at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating NHK Trophy competition in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. When they take the ice in Nashville in January 2022 for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, they will be heavy favorites to qualify for the Olympics — and will carry solid medals credentials to the Beijing Games. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama, File)
Top US ice dancers share highly competitive friendship

By Barry Wilner Dec. 28, 2021 03:04 AM EST
They train at the same complex in Montreal under the same coaches.

FILE - Madison Chock, right, and Evan Bates perform during the rhythm dance program at the Skate America figure skating event Oct. 23, 2021, in Las Vegas. As U.S. skaters, led by three-time world champion Nathan Chen, two-time U.S. champion Alysa Liu, and outstanding ice dance couples Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue, and Chock and Bates, prepare for nationals during the first week in Jan. 2022, in Nashville, they need to be aware of the pressure ahead. (AP Photo/David Becker, File)
Lipinski, Weir and White evaluate nationals and Olympics

By Barry Wilner Dec. 24, 2021 03:20 AM EST
So you think the Olympics frazzle the nerves more than any event? Well, how about

FILE - ]Nathan Chen performs his men's free program during the Skate Canada figure skating event Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Chen, 22, has taken the men's version of the sport to new heights. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
World champ Nathan Chen looks ahead as Olympic push begins

By Barry Wilner Dec. 23, 2021 02:13 AM EST
Few if any athletes have had a run — well, a skate — like Nathan Chen since 2018.

FILE - Vincent Zhou performs during the men's short program at the Skate America figure skating event Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, in Las Vegas. Zhou nailed just about everything at Skate America in October, the first of six Grand Prix series events, the main competitions leading up to February's Beijing Olympics. (AP Photo/David Becker, File)
Vincent Zhou's rise coming at the right time in Olympic year

By Barry Wilner Nov. 11, 2021 11:24 AM EST
Vincent Zhou couldn't have had better timing. Not

FILE - In this Jan. 17, 2021, file photo, Nathan Chen poses with his gold medal in the men's championship at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Las Vegas. Since his disappointing sixth-place finish at the Pyeongchang Olympics, the 22-year-old Chen has won three world titles, the last three of his five U.S. championships, and the two most recent Grand Prix finals. He enters Skate America this weekend as the overwhelming favorite to win his fifth consecutive gold medal. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Chen and winning streak in spotlight as Skate America begins

By Barry Wilner Oct. 21, 2021 12:46 PM EDT
Let this sink in: Nathan Chen has not lost a competition since February 2018.

FILE - Commissioner Roger Goodell gestures during the NFL Honors ceremony as part of Super Bowl 55 in Tampa, Fla., in this Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, file photo. The NFL is increasing the regular season to 17 games, as expected, and reducing the preseason to three games. Team owners on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, approved the 17th game, marking the first time in 43 years the regular season has been increased.(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
NFL owners approve 17-game regular season, 3 preseason games

By Barry Wilner Mar. 30, 2021 03:22 PM EDT
The NFL is increasing the regular season to 17 games and planning to have full

FILE - In this Saturday, March 23, 2019 file photo, Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu and Nathan Chen from the United States display their silver and gold medals respectively during the men's free skating routine during the ISU World Figure Skating Championships at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, north of Tokyo. As Nathan Chen seeks a third straight World Figure Skating Championships title, something no American has achieved since Scott Hamilton got his fourth in a row in 1984, he has two major challenges in front of him. One is two-time Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, who Chen calls “the benchmark." The other is idleness in major competitions forced by the coronavirus pandemic. ((AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
US skating team stronger than most for recent world events

By Barry Wilner Mar. 23, 2021 02:38 PM EDT
Multiple medals at the World Figure Skating Championships are rare for the

Announcers Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski talk during the women's free skate program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. Tara Lipinski, the 1998 Olympic gold medalist and now the top TV analyst in the sport along with NBC partner Johnny Weir, recognizes how jumbled the figure skating scene is. “The pre-Olympic season sets the tone of the Olympic season,” says Lipinski, who will anchor coverage of Skate America this week on NBC, NBCSN and the Peacock streaming service. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
In key pre-Olympic season, pandemic disrupts figure skating

By Barry Wilner Oct. 21, 2020 02:54 PM EDT
With the Summer Olympics in Tokyo delayed a year by the coronavirus pandemic,

ISU downsizes Grand Prix Series to more localized events

By Barry Wilner Aug. 04, 2020 12:35 PM EDT
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating series is being downsized to more localized