The U.S. figure skating team kicked off its 2022 Winter Olympics experience with a banner Friday morning in the team event, leading ROC and China through three of the competition's eight segments.
Every American who competed set an international personal best score with Nathan Chen first in the men's short program (111.71), Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue winning the rhythm dance (86.56), and Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier third in the pairs short program (75.00).
What better way to celebrate - and top that - than by attending the Opening Ceremony.
Ten of the 16 U.S. Olympic figure skaters marched in the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest.
It all started with a check-in at the athletes' village from Mariah Bell, Ashley Cain-Gribble and Kaitlin Hawayek:
View social media post: https://twitter.com/TeamUSA/status/1489558794598158337
While the Opening Ceremony was a first for the trio, Jason Brown returned to the Olympic stage for the first time in eight years...
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SEE MORE: USA's Hubbell/Donohue score top rhythm dance in team event
Ice dancers Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker are at the Olympics for the first time and had a night they will never forget:
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SEE MORE: Knierim/Frazier nail their short in skating's team event
Knierim competed at the Olympics four years ago with husband and then-partner Chris, but 2022 marks the debut for Frazier, who teamed up with her in 2020.
View social media post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZjwGK8P3Ef/
Their fellow pairs team of Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc -- who have been doing side-by-side lifts with their compatriots every chance they get at this Olympics -- are at their inaugural Games, and Cain-Gribble was not shy about posting from her first Opening Ceremony...
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View social media post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZj6QOfPZF_/
The figure skating team event resumes Sunday local time with the women's short program and men's free skate. Watch Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC or stream live on NBCOlympics.com or Peacock.
