NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Before they went to the rink this week to officially register for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue talked through everything again, just one more time.
How were they feeling about competing, given the ongoing spread of COVID-19? Did they still want to do this? Was it worth it?
"It's a constant discussion," Hubbell said Friday, "and I think that's the case for everyone right now."
It's also taken on a new tone in recent days, as what-if questions about the virus at nationals have quickly shifted to "OK, what now?"
As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, it has become a disruptive and defining force at figure skating nationals, knocking out the favorites in two of the sport's four disciplines and leaving other athletes to wonder if they could be next.
First it was pairs skater Brandon Frazier, who announced Wednesday that he was experiencing "severe symptoms" and isolating in a Nashville hotel room. Then it was women's skaters Alysa Liu and Amber Glenn, whose withdrawals were announced Friday less than six hours apart. Both had competed in the short program the previous night, and Glenn wrote on Instagram that she had not been feeling well.
"To know I was competing while sick with covid is awful," she wrote. "It scares me to think of who might've been exposed."
U.S. Figure Skating said it would address any potential close contacts in accordance with CDC guidelines. And despite the absence of two Olympic contenders, the women's competition went on as planned Friday night, in front of a sizable (and masked) crowd.
"I gave myself 10 minutes to just like full-on freak out about it," second-place finisher Karen Chen said of Liu and Glenn's positive tests. "... I told myself 'OK, you can think about this for 10 minutes. And after that, you've got to focus on your skating.'"
Some skaters shrugged off COVID-19 concerns, or spoke about all the steps they've taken to minimize risks – masking during practices, for instance, or staying distanced from other skaters.
Others were quick to acknowledge that they have taken a risk by traveling to Nashville, where case figures have skyrocketed in recent weeks, and competing. But they also described it as a justifiable risk.
"We could've put up our hands and said it's not worth it," Donohue said. "But this is our last nationals, and we fully trust ourselves and the team that we have around us, including U.S. Figure Skating, to keep us safe, to take care of us.
"Those of us who are here and are still fighting for our spots and who have our own goals and our own mission at these championships – it's about a lot more than succumbing to the fear of the pandemic."
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Hubbell and Donohue are among the handful of skaters whose spots on Team USA were likely secure even before they arrived at nationals. U.S. Figure Skating selects its Olympic team based on performances over a two-year period, rather than a single event such as trials.
Nathan Chen, who is favored to contend for gold at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, is in the same metaphorical boat. He said late last month that he planned to compete at nationals to feel like he rightfully earned his spot. He is scheduled to take the ice Saturday afternoon.
Others, meanwhile, came to nationals knowing that they were on the fringes of Olympic consideration and had little choice.
"There is a selection criteria, but U.S. nationals is one of those major criteria," said Kaitlin Hawayek, who is vying for one of three Olympic ice dance spots with partner Jean-Luc Baker. "We definitely know that there's risks coming here, and that's something that we know, that was not taken lightly."
Baker called COVID-19 "a concern for all the athletes" at nationals. And Jeffrey Chen, another ice dancer, admitted that the competition itself is "definitely pretty risky."
"It's a huge risk," the 19-year-old said. "There's not much we can do about it, because this is the national championships. And we kind of have to do this, basically. So yeah, I think we're just doing our best to stay safe."
Hubbell and Donohue ultimately reached the same conclusion, but for different reasons. While young skaters like Chen and his partner Katarina Wolfkostin are looking to make a splash at the senior level, Hubbell and Donohue assumed the risks of contracting COVID-19 because they knew this would be their last trip to nationals; They have announced plans to retire at the end of the season.
And so, Hubbell and Donohue said they've practiced in masks and avoided the rinkside locker rooms. They've eschewed chances to meet up with family members. And they've continued to operate as if everyone around them has COVID-19.
"For two years, that's kept us safe," Hubbell said. "And we can only hope and pray that continues to do so, and that we'll be in Beijing healthy."
Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.
