NASHVILLE, Tenn — On Tuesday, Catherine Rivers and Timmy Chapman performed their junior pairs short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championship in Nashville.
"We pushed ourselves and just left it all on ice, which was the goal," Rivers said. "I feel good... it's so much fun."
Rivers, 18, fell in love with skating on the Market Square holiday ice rink when she was 11 years old. She'd soon get her first pair of skates one Christmas and began training competitively at the Ice Chalet.
Her partner, Timothy Chapman, is from Central Florida and started skating when he was five, but he didn't begin taking lessons until he was 10 years old.
"Dancing around the more upbeat and fun type short programs have always been a strong suit of ours," Chapman said. "We had a good time and did as much as we could."
As of Tuesday, the two are ranked fifth. They will skate again on Wednesday beginning at 3 p.m. central time.
"It would be an honor to be up on the podium," Chapman said. "Wherever life takes us, wherever the road ends up we have ice, wherever it takes us is where I'm happiest."
After the junior-level competition wraps up, the championship-level skaters will perform on the ice starting Thursday for their shot at representing the U.S. in the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
If you can't make it to Nashville, the USA Network will air coverage of the championships Thursday through Sunday. Championship competitions will also be streamed live on Peacock. Below is a full list of events:
- Thursday, 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT: Pairs Short Program (USA Network)
- Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT: Women's Short Program (USA Network)
- Friday, 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT: Ice Dance Rhythm Dance (USA Network)
- Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET/PT: Women's Free Skate (NBC)
- Airs at 7:00 p.m. CT/MT
- Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT: Men's Short Program (NBC)
- Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT: Ice Dance Free Dance and Pairs Free Skate (USA Network)
- Sunday, 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT: Men's Free Skate (NBC)