It may be the Winter Olympics, but the athletes are turning up the heat on the competition.
With the 2022 Beijing Games well underway, fans have already watched their favorite sports stars face off in a number of events, including hockey, ski jumping, luge and curling, just to name a few.
And, of course, you can't forget about figure skating. From axels and salchows to spins and spirals, there are so many magnificent moves to see. And whether you're a fan of singles and pair skating or more into ice dancing and the team event, there's something for everyone.
There are 16 members on the U.S. figure skating roster. And while some are gliding into the games for the very first time, others are jumping back into the competition for another shot at the gold.
Not familiar with every individual out on the ice? Don't freeze up! E! News is here to melt away those concerns.
Scroll on for an introduction to the U.S. Olympic figure skating team.
Age: 25
Events: Women's Singles
While this is Bell's first Olympic Games, she's hardly a newbie to the sport. Born in Oklahoma, she began skating at age 3. And last month, the now-California resident won her first national title in her ninth appearance, having previously taken home a silver and two bronze medals.
At 25 years old, Bell is the oldest U.S. women's figure skating national champion in 95 years and the oldest U.S. Olympic women's singles figure skater in 94 years. But as she recently told Today's Sheinelle Jones, age is just a number.
"If you have a dream and you're dedicated to it and you're working towards it, there doesn't have to be an expiration date," she said. "I feel like I'm not even in my prime. You know, I'm working to get there. And I'm really excited to be the first woman in so long to be going."
Bell has also won four Grand Prix Series medals and a team gold at the World Team Trophy. You'll probably recognize her coaches, too. She's trained by Rafael Arutyunyan—who's also coached Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen and Ashley Wagner—and Adam Rippon, who won a bronze medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Games.
According to her website, when she's not on the ice, Bell enjoys watching TV shows like The Office, The Mindy Project and The Bachelor as well as movies like Titanic, Anchor Man 2, Dumbo (2019) and The Lion King (2019). You can also catch her practicing Pilates, paddle boarding, spending time with her pet bunnies and dog Nala and rocking out to her favorite tunes, which include Celine Dion's "The Power of Love," Taylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down" and Starley's "Call on Me (Ryan Riback Remix)."
Age: 22
Events: Women's Singles, Team Event
This is the second time Chen has competed at the Olympics, having also taken part in the 2018 PyeongChang Games where she finished in 11th place. According to Today, she's the first women's single skater to compete in back-to-back Olympics in 15 years.
Just a few weeks ago, she won the silver medal at the U.S. Championships. She also won the bronze in 2021, 2018 and 2015 and the gold in 2017. And last year, Chen came in fourth place at the World Championships. But that's not all. She's also won two World Team Trophy medals (a silver and a bronze). And so far, she's placed fifth in the women's short program for the team event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Born in California, Chen started skating at age 4, but didn't really fall in love with the sport until she was 6, her website states. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies like The Hunger Games and Finding Dory and TV shows like Friends, Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen. As for her favorite song, the Cornell student (who took a break from her studies to focus on training), has Katy Perry's "Rise" on her playlist.
Age: 16
Events: Women's Singles
Liu is no stranger to breaking records. At just 12 years old, she became the youngest woman to land a triple axel in an international competition, NBC Sports reported, and at age 13, she became the youngest U.S. women's figure skating champion, a record previously held by Tara Lipinski. After winning the national championships again the following year, Liu became the youngest two-time winner. And her résumé doesn't end there. She's also the 2018 U.S. Junior Champion and a 2020 World Junior bronze medalist. Furthermore, she's the first woman to land a triple axel and a quadruple jump in the same program.
In fact, Rippon called Liu the "Simone Biles of figure skating" during a February 2020 interview with Business Insider, and she was totally flattered. "That's like a really big honor," Liu told Today Parents, "because I love Simone Biles a lot!"
Now, she's hoping to continue her success with her Olympics debut, where she will be the youngest member on the entire U.S. team this year. As for what Liu, who was born in California but also trains in Colorado Springs, does in her free time, her website states she enjoys playing video games, bike riding, and playing tag with her siblings. She also told Today Parents she likes listening to ITZY and Doja Cat.
Age: 22
Events: Men's Singles, Team Event
Take one look at Chen's track record and you'll see why he's one of the biggest names in men's figure skating. He's won three World titles, six U.S. titles and 10 Grand Prix Series medals.
Chen competed at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, where he won bronze in the figure skating team event. And while he'd hoped to take home a medal in the individual men's event, he fell during his short program, dropping to 17th place.
"Honestly, it was bad," Chen said afterwards, per The Guardian. "I made as many mistakes as I possibly could have."
Still, he didn't give up and dominated the free skate, moving back up to fifth place. Now, he's going for gold again—and he's already landed the second highest short program score ever in the team event. However, this time around, it's about more than his medal count.
"Ultimately, I want to be able to go to Beijing and just you know, as cliché as it sounds, just enjoy that experience as much as I can," Chen, who was born in Utah and started skating at age 3, told Lester Holt for NBC's Nightly News. "You know, I have been thinking, like, five years, 10 years down the line, I want to be able to look back on my career and be like, 'Man, like, I loved it. I, you know, enjoyed every moment.' And I don't want to go back and be like, 'I don't remember. I just remember being stressed out.' I'm just trying to restructure my thinking so that, win or lose, I'll be able to look back and be like, 'That was a great experience.'"
Off the ice, Chen—who also competed in gymnastics at state and regional levels for seven years and has trained in ballet—enjoys playing guitar and biking. He's also a student at Yale but took a break from his studies to focus on getting ready for the Olympics.
Age: 27
Events: Men's Singles
Brown started skating at age 3 and soon glided into victory. He won the U.S. Junior Championship in 2010 and the Junior Grand Prix Final in 2011. Over the next two years, he won bronze and silver medals at the World Junior Championships. And by 2014, he was competing at the Sochi Games, where he won a bronze medal in the team event and placed ninth in the individual. He's also participated in four World Championships (with a top finish of fourth place in 2015), won a U.S. Championship title and taken home nine Grand Prix Series medals.
While Brown was born in Los Angeles, he considers Highland Park, Ill. his hometown. His favorite TV show is Modern Family and his favorite movies are romantic comedies and "inspirational sports or life movies"—although he's "terrified of scary/horror movies," he notes on his website. His bio also lists dolphins and dogs as his favorite animals and ice cream, apples and Greek yogurt with granola as his favorite foods.
Age: 21
Events: Men's Singles, Team Event
Zhou is now a two-time Olympian, having previously competed in PyeongChang where he came in sixth place in the men's singles event and made history as the first person to land a quadruple lutz at the Winter Games.
Born in California, Zhou first laced up his skates at age 5 and has continued to skate into glory. According to TeamUSA.org, he became the youngest U.S. Junior Champion in 2013 and secured the World Junior title in 2017. Since then, Zhou has won three silver and two bronze medals at the U.S. Championships, a bronze at the World Championships, a gold team medal at the World Team Trophy and three Grand Prix Series medals. And so far, he's placed third in the free skate for the team event at the 2022 Games.
When he's not on the ice, his team profile states, Zhou enjoys writing short poems and hiking. He is also a student at Brown University.
Age: 30, 29
Events: Pairs, Team Event
Knierim and Frazier haven't been skating partners for very long, teaming up in April 2020. But so far, they're off to a great start. They've won a U.S. title, two Grand Prix Series medals and a silver team medal at the World Team Trophy. In addition, Knierim and Frazier, who live and train in California, placed seventh at their first World Championship last year.
And if you're wondering how their Olympics debut is going, they placed third in the short program for the team event.
"Honestly, the first time we took the ice and held hands we kind of knew," Knierim told NBC. "Brandon and I are just so united and connected that...I almost feel like we share a brain when we take the ice together."
Previously, Knierim skated with her husband Chris Knierim. Together, they won a bronze medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Games as part of the team event. They also secured three national titles, three Grand Prix medals and two Four Continents medals. He retired in 2020.
As for Frazier, he previously skated with Haven Denney. The duo had been teammates since childhood. According to NBC, they started out competing on rollerblades but later switched to ice skating. Together, Frazier and Denney won the U.S. Junior Championship in 2012, as well as the World Junior Championship in 2013. On the senior level, they won a U.S. title and four Grand Prix Series medals. However, they ended their partnership in 2020.
Knierim was born in Illinois. According to her team bio, she enjoys fishing, archery, reading and spending time with her pets. Frazier, who is making his Olympics debut, was born in Phoenix, and enjoys golf, hiking and spending time with his dog Chowder.
Age: 26, 31
Events: Pairs
Cain-Gribble and LeDuc have been skating together since 2016. So far, they've won two national titles, two bronze Grand Prix Series medals, a bronze and a gold team medal at the World Team Trophy, and a Four Continents silver medal.
Cain-Gribble was born and raised in Texas and has been skating since the age of 2. According to her website, she enjoys cooking, exercising, playing with her puppy, hiking, vlogging and horseback riding. She's also a big fan of Pinterest, interior design and fashion and her favorite movie is The Notebook. And when she feels like watching a show, you can catch her tuning in to Criminal Minds, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Gossip Girl and Botched.
As for LeDuc, they were born and raised in Iowa and began skating as a teen. According to their website, they love kayaking, paddle boarding, rollerblading, practicing yoga and dancing. Their favorite movies include The Parent Trap, The Fountain, Steel Magnolias, The Heat and National Treasure and they enjoy watching episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race, Cosmos and Game of Thrones.
LeDuc is also the first out non-binary athlete to compete in the Winter Games. "Hopefully...people watching us can feel like they can lead with authenticity, that they don't feel like they have to change things about themselves in order to reach their success in sport and to chase their dreams," they recently told CNN Sport. "Ashley and I have both had to forge our own paths in order to find our success. And we did that being authentically ourselves and leading with what makes us different and unique. I'm hopeful that's what the narrative centers around and not necessarily around me."
Age: 29, 32
Events: Ice Dance
This is Chock and Bates' third Olympics together. They came in ninth place at the 2018 PyeongChang Games and ranked eighth at the 2014 Sochi Games.
Chock and Bates joined forces in 2011. Since then, they've won three national titles, three World Championship medals, six Four Continent medals (including two golds) and a whopping 14 Grand Prix Series medals (including three golds).
And they're partners both on and off the ice. Although, it wasn't exactly love at first sight. In fact, it was five years before things took a romantic turn. As Bates recalled to Olympics.com, "You know, eventually I was just like…'I love you. You know, I have feelings for you. I would love to be more than skating partners.'"
Previously, Chock skated with Greg Zuerlein from 2006-11. According to U.S. Figure Skating's Fan Zone, they won the 2009 World Junior, U.S. Junior and Junior Grand Prix Final titles and were two-time U.S. bronze medalists (once as juniors and once as seniors) and two-time Grand Prix Series bronze medalists.
As for Bates, he skated with Emily Samuelson from 2000-10. During their time together, Fan Zone reported, they won the 2008 World Junior Championship, took home the silver at the 2009 U.S. Championship and secured the bronze at the 2010 U.S. Championship. They also competed at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, where they came in 11th place.
But it was Chock and Bates' partnership that proved to be endgame. As she tweeted in December, "24 yrs skating, 10 yrs skating together, 5 yrs together as a couple, 2 Olympics, 1 forever partnership."
Chock was born in California, later moving to Michigan, and started skating at age 5. According to her team bio, her hobbies include drawing, painting and reading. She also designs skating costumes.
Bates was born and raised in Michigan and started skating at age 4. According to his team bio, he likes to golf, read and play guitar.
Age: 30, 31
Event: Ice Dance, Team Event
Some might say Hubbell and Donohue were born to skate together (they're actually only seven weeks apart). They teamed up in 2011, and their trophy shelf has expanded ever since. Together, they've won three U.S. Championship titles, three World Championship medals, a gold team medal at the World Team Trophy and 16 Grand Prix Series medals. They also finished fourth at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. Hubbell and Donohue are hoping to finish their careers on a high note as, according to NBC, the pair (and former couple) previously announced that the 2021-2022 season would be their last. So far so good as they placed first in the rhythm dance for the team event at the 2022 Olympics.
Previously, Hubbell competed with her brother, Keiffer. According to Fan Zone, the sibling duo saw great success, wining U.S. titles at the juvenile, intermediate and junior levels and taking home gold and bronze at a Junior Grand Prix Final and Four Continents Championship, respectively. They stopped skating together in 2011.
As for Donohue, he previously skated with Piper Gilles, with whom he won the gold medal at a Junior Grand Prix event as well as the bronze medal at back-to-back U.S. Junior Championships, and Allissandra Aronow.
Hubbell was born and raised in Michigan and started skating at age 5. According to her website, she enjoys baking, scrapbooking, making jewelry and decorating.
Donohue was born and raised in Connecticut and started skating at age 10. According to his website, he has an interest in cars and enjoys playing guitar, singing and dancing.
Age: 25, 28
Event: Ice Dance
Hawayek and Baker are ready to make their Olympics debut! Although, they've been involved in the sport for quite some time. First partnering up in 2012, they went on to win the U.S. Junior Championships and the World Junior Championships in 2014. Since then, they've won three Grand Prix Series medals, four U.S. Championship bronze medals, a silver team medal at the World Team Trophy and a Four Continents Championship. They've also participated in three World Championships.
Hawayek grew up in East Aurora, New York and started skating when she was 3. According to her website, she loves to dance, draw, paint, travel, cook and explore Montreal, where she lives her golden doodle Mila. She's also a student at Penn State through its World Campus program and is studying psychology.
According to Baker's U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone profile, he was born in England but grew up in Edmonds, Washington, getting his U.S. citizenship at age 17. He was born with a clubfoot. As he shared with Fan Zone, "It literally makes it two sizes smaller than the right foot. At birth my parents were told I would never be able to walk and, well, I essentially proved them wrong."
Baker started skating at age 2, the site reported, but didn't focus on training and competing until age 10. He also earned a blackbelt in Taekwondo by age 7. According to his profile, Baker lives in Montreal and enjoys playing video games, practicing photography, bike riding and camping.
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