NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Mariah Bell put together a mesmerizing free skate at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Friday night, edging Karen Chen for her first gold medal and taking any drama out of whether she’s headed to her first Winter Olympics.
Bell led after a spectacular short program, but it took an equally incredible performance to k.d. lang’s rendition of the Leonard Cohen staple “Hallelujah” to reach the top step of the podium. She earned 140.70 points in her free skate and had 216.25 in total, leaving Chen nearly three points back in second place.
