Christopher Knierim (born November 5, 1987) is an American former
pair skater
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline defined by the International Skating Union (ISU) as "the skating of two persons in unison who perform their movements in such harmony with each other as to give the impression of genuine Pair Skating a ...
. With his wife,
Alexa Scimeca Knierim
Alexa Paige Knierim, née Scimeca (born June 10, 1991) is an American pair skater. With her skating partner, Brandon Frazier, she is the 2022 World champion, a 2022 Olympic silver medalist in the figure skating team event, the 2022 Grand Prix ...
, he is a
2018 Olympic bronze medalist in the figure skating team event, a two-time
Four Continents
Europeans in the 16th century divided the world into four continents: Africa, America, Asia, and Europe. Each of the four continents was seen to represent its quadrant of the world—Africa in the south, America in the west, Asia in the east, a ...
medalist (
2016 silver,
2014 bronze), a three-time
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
medalist (1 silver, 2 bronze), and a three-time
U.S. National Champion (
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
,
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
). At the
2018 Winter Olympics
, nations = 93
, athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women)
, events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening =
, closing =
, opened_by = President Moon Jae-in
, cauldron = Kim Yun-a
, stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium
, winte ...
, the Knierims became the first American pair, and the second pair ever in history, to perform a
quad twist at the Olympic Games.
Personal life
Christopher Knierim was born November 5, 1987, in
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
.
[ His biological father's name is Michael Brown. When he was six months old, his mother DeeDee began dating her future husband, Jeffrey Knierim, who adopted Chris.][ His family lived in ]Ramona
''Ramona'' is a 1884 American novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. Set in Southern California after the Mexican–American War, it portrays the life of a mixed-race Scottish– Native American orphan girl, who suffers racial discrimination and ...
, California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, before moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
, in 2006 to focus on Knierim's skating career.[
In addition to skating, Knierim worked as an auto mechanic.][ Knierim and Alexa Scimeca became skating partners in April 2012, and began dating about a month later. They became engaged on April 8, 2014,][ and married on June 26, 2016, in ]Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
.[ Their skating partnership ended in February 2020.][ The couple lives in ]Irvine, California
Irvine () is a Planned community, master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on ...
, where Alexa Scimeca Knierim trains with her current skating partner, Brandon Frazier
Brandon Michael Frazier (born November 19, 1992) is an American pair skater. With his skating partner, Alexa Knierim, he is the 2022 World champion, a 2022 Olympic silver medalist in the figure skating team event, the 2022 Grand Prix Final si ...
, while Chris Knierim is a figure skating coach.
Skating career
Early career
Knierim started skating at age 12.[ He began a partnership with ]Brynn Carman
Brynn Carman (born November 26, 1994) is an American journalist and former Pair skating, pair skater. With Chris Knierim, she placed ninth at the 2009 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, 2009 World Junior Championships.
Career
Carman beg ...
in February 2006.[ They were coached by ]Dalilah Sappenfield
Dalilah Sappenfield is an American figure skating coach and choreographer who specializes in pair skating. She has worked as a coach since 1993 and is the 2008 USFSA/PSA Coach of the Year, an award she won after her pair teams won the gold me ...
in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
.[ The pair won the novice national title at the 2008 U.S. Championships and the junior silver medal at the 2009 U.S. Championships. They announced the end of their partnership on April 9, 2009.][
Knierim began skating with Carolyn-Ann Alba in 2009. They won the junior pairs title at the 2010 Midwestern Sectional Championships][ and the junior pewter medal at the 2010 U.S. Championships, after which they parted ways.
Knierim began a partnership with Andrea Poapst in July 2010.][ They won the junior title at the 2011 Midwestern Sectional Championships and the junior silver medal at the 2011 U.S. Championships. Poapst/Knierim won the gold medal at the 2011 Ice Challenge, their first senior international together.][ They parted ways at the end of the 2011–2012 season.
]
Teaming up with Alexa Scimeca and 2012–2013 season
Coach Dalilah Sappenfield
Dalilah Sappenfield is an American figure skating coach and choreographer who specializes in pair skating. She has worked as a coach since 1993 and is the 2008 USFSA/PSA Coach of the Year, an award she won after her pair teams won the gold me ...
suggested that Knierim skate with Alexa Scimeca. They teamed up in April 2012.[ They began training with Sappenfield, Larry Ibarra, and various other coaches at the ]Broadmoor World Arena
The Broadmoor World Arena was a skating rink and hockey arena located at The Broadmoor Resort & Spa in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Originally an outdoor equestrian center and riding academy, the building was enclosed and converted into an ice a ...
in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
.[
Scimeca/Knierim won the gold medal in their first ever international event, the 2012 Coupe Internationale de Nice in October.][ After a number of withdrawals by other teams, they received a ]Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
assignment, the 2012 NHK Trophy in November, where they placed fourth.
The pair won the silver medal at the 2013 U.S. Championships in January. They were assigned to the 2013 Four Continents Championships but withdrew just before the event when Scimeca injured her right foot in practice.[ Scimeca/Knierim were named to the U.S. team for the 2013 World Championships after ]Caydee Denney
Caydee Christine Denney (born June 22, 1993) is an American former competitive pair skater. With John Coughlin, she is the 2012 Four Continents silver medalist and 2012 U.S. national champion. With former partner Jeremy Barrett, Denney is the ...
/ John Coughlin withdrew.[ They placed ninth in their World Championships debut in March.
]
2013–2014 season
Scimeca/Knierim experienced a setback that hampered their season when Knierim broke his left fibula in July. He underwent surgery that placed a metal plate and nine screws in his ankle.[ While Knierim was able to heal relatively quickly, the team believed they rushed back to competition a bit too soon. In January, they won the pewter medal at the 2014 U.S. Championships and were named second alternates to the 2014 Winter Olympic team. They then won the bronze medal at the 2014 ]Four Continents Championships
The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships (4CC) is an annual figure skating competition. The International Skating Union established it in 1999 to provide skaters representing non-African and non-European countries with a similar competit ...
. Their second place short program score of 66.04 set a new record for the highest score ever achieved by a U.S. pair team. Knierim had additional surgery in March to remove the metal hardware in his leg, which had been causing discomfort.[
]
2014–2015 season: First national title
Scimeca/Knierim won the gold medal in their first ISU Challenger series event, the 2014 U.S. International Classic, and won the bronze medal at 2014 Nebelhorn Trophy. They were assigned two Grand Prix events, placing fourth at both 2014 Skate America
The 2014 Hilton HHonors Skate America was the first event of six in the 2014–15 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on Octob ...
and 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard.
At the 2015 U.S. Championships, Scimeca/Knierim captured their first national title, setting new U.S. record scores in both the short program and the free skate. They also became the first American pair team in history to perform a quadruple twist in competition.[
At the 2015 Four Continents Championships, Scimeca/Knierim placed fifth and earned new ISU personal best scores of 124.44 in the free skate and 187.98 total, setting new records for the highest scores ever achieved by a U.S. pair team in an international event. At the 2015 World Championships, the pair placed 7th, the highest finish by a U.S. pair since 2011. They then competed at the 2015 World Team Trophy, finishing 4th in the short program and 3rd in the free skate, which ultimately was a key factor in Team USA winning the gold medal. Scimeca/Knierim earned new personal best scores of 127.87 in the free skate and 192.09 total, setting new records once again for the highest scores ever recorded by a U.S. pair team in international competition.]
Scimeca/Knierim won SKATING magazine's 2015 Readers’ Choice Skaters of the Year Award, also known as the Michelle Kwan Trophy.[ ]
2015–2016 season: First Grand Prix medals and silver at Four Continents
Scimeca/Knierim began their season at 2015 Nebelhorn Trophy where they won the silver medal behind reigning Olympic champions Tatiana Volosozhar
Tatiana Andreyеvna Volosozhar (russian: Татьяна Андреевна Волосожар, uk, Тетяна Андріївна Волосожар; born 22 May 1986) is a Ukrainian-born Russian pair skater. With Maxim Trankov, she is the tw ...
/ Maxim Trankov
Maxim Leonidovich Trankov (russian: Максим Леонидович Траньков; born 7 October 1983) is a Russian pair skater. With Tatiana Volosozhar, he is a two-time 2014 Olympic champion in the pairs and in team events, the 2013 ...
.[ The team then competed at ]2015 Skate America
The 2015 Progressive Skate America was the first event of six in the 2015–16 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ...
where they won their first Grand Prix medal, a silver. They placed 1st in the short program with a new personal best score of 69.69, setting a new record for the highest score ever achieved by a U.S. pair team in international competition. The following week, they won the gold medal at 2015 Ice Challenge in Graz, Austria.
Scimeca/Knierim went on to win the bronze medal at 2015 NHK Trophy
The 2015 NHK Trophy was the final event of six in the 2015–16 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Big Hat in Nagano on November 27–29. Medals were awarded in the d ...
, which helped qualify them for the 2015–16 Grand Prix Final in Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, where they placed seventh. They were the first U.S. pair since 2007 to qualify for the Grand Prix Final.[ The pair entered the 2016 U.S. Championships as the heavy favorite for the title, but won the silver medal.
At the 2016 Four Continents Championships, Scimeca/Knierim won the silver medal in their best competitive outing to date.][ They earned new personal best scores of 140.35 in the free skate and 207.96 total, which are the highest scores ever recorded by a U.S. pair team in international competition under that version of the judging system.][ A subsequent injury to Knierim limited the team's training before the 2016 World Championships, where they placed 9th. They were 7th in the short program with a personal best score of 71.37, which set a new record for the highest score ever achieved by a U.S. pair team in international competition.][ The pair then competed for Team North America at the inaugural ]2016 Team Challenge Cup
The 2016 KOSÉ Team Challenge Cup was held April 22–24, 2016 at the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington. Skaters competed as part of Team Asia, Team Europe, or Team North America.
The 2016 competition was the first edition of the event. Spokan ...
, where the team won the gold medal.
2016–2017 season: Major illness, surgery, and successful return
Alexa Scimeca Knierim became sick in April 2016, and her illness interrupted the Knierims' training throughout the summer months. She was properly diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening gastrointestinal condition in August and underwent two abdominal surgeries that month.[ The pair resumed light training in late September.][ Alexa Knierim underwent additional surgery on November 1 and returned to training by the middle of that month.][
Alexa Knierim's illness involved regular episodes of vomiting, debilitating pain, difficulties with sleeping, eating or drinking, as well as significant weight loss.][ Already small, she lost 20 pounds and shrunk to just over 80 pounds.][ Knierim stated that when his wife initially returned to the ice following surgery, she had to hold his hands just to skate a lap around the rink and could only skate for 10 minutes before having to go home for a nap because it was so physically draining on her body.][ The pair withdrew from both of their ]Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
events, the 2016 Rostelecom Cup
The 2016 Rostelecom Cup was the third event of six in the 2016–17 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Megasport Arena in Moscow on November 4–5. Medals were award ...
and 2016 Cup of China
The 2016 Audi Cup of China was the fifth event of six in the 2016–17 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Capital Gymnasium in Beijing on November 18–20. Medals were ...
, and the 2017 U.S. Championships. They resumed full training in January[ and were named to the U.S. team for both the 2017 Four Continents Championships and the 2017 World Championships.
In February, the Knierims made a strong return to competition at the 2017 Four Continents Championships, where they placed sixth in a deep field of Chinese and Canadian pairs. Their total score was the second highest score ever achieved by a U.S. pair team, behind only their score from Four Continents the prior year. The pair then competed at the 2017 World Championships, where they skated two strong programs and placed 10th in an exceptionally deep field. 5th through 10th place were separated by just 4.35 points. They placed 8th in the short program with a personal best score of 72.17, the highest score ever achieved by a U.S. pair team under that version of the judging system. They were the only U.S. pair to qualify for the free skate.
Their total score of 202.37 was the second highest in U.S. pairs history, and they would remain the only U.S. pair to have ever surpassed the 200 point barrier under that version of the judging system.] This was the Knierims' fourth top 10 finish in their four Worlds appearances. They were the only U.S. pair in the previous five years to have earned top 10 finishes at the World Championships.
2017–2018 season: Second national title and Pyeongchang Olympics
The Knierims began their season at the 2017 U.S. International Classic, where they won the silver medal and were narrowly edged by Canadians Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro. They placed 1st in the free skate after having changed their long program in the week prior to the event.[ The team then competed at two Grand Prix events, ]2017 NHK Trophy
The 2017 NHK Trophy was the 4th event of six in the 2017–18 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held in Osaka on November 10–12. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men ...
and 2017 Skate America, where they placed a solid fifth in deep fields at both events. It was revealed after Skate America that Chris Knierim was recovering from a patella injury.[ The Knierims had been the top U.S. finisher at every international event they had entered for the past three years. Their scores throughout the Grand Prix season were the clear highest by a U.S. pair team.
At the 2018 U.S. Championships, the Knierims won their second National title with a score of 206.60. They placed 1st in the short program, 1st in the free skate, and performed a quadruple twist in competition for the first time since 2016. They are one of the only pairs in the world capable of doing a quad twist. Following the event, the Knierims were named to the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team that competed at the ]2018 Winter Olympics
, nations = 93
, athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women)
, events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening =
, closing =
, opened_by = President Moon Jae-in
, cauldron = Kim Yun-a
, stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium
, winte ...
in Pyeongchang, South Korea
Pyeongchang (; in full, ''Pyeongchang-gun'' ; ) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea, located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is about east southeast of Seou ...
. They were the sole U.S. pair team at this Olympic Games.[
At the ]2018 Winter Olympics
, nations = 93
, athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women)
, events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening =
, closing =
, opened_by = President Moon Jae-in
, cauldron = Kim Yun-a
, stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium
, winte ...
, the Knierims won an Olympic bronze medal in the figure skating team event as a key part of the U.S. team. They placed a strong 4th in the short program with a season's best score, defeating top pairs from China, France, and Italy. They then placed 4th in the free skate. Their total combined score was the highest of their season. In the pair event, they were fourteenth in the short program and placed fifteenth overall in what was the strongest Olympic pair competition to date. In the free skate, the Knierims became the first U.S. pair, and the second pair ever in history, to successfully perform a quad twist at the Olympics.[
Weeks later, the Knierims competed at the 2018 World Championships. They placed eleventh in the short program with a strong performance and were less than three points from the top 5. They finished fifteenth overall after an uncharacteristically shaky skate by Alexa that included a fall on a death spiral. They were the only U.S. pair to qualify for the free skate for the second consecutive year.
On May 14, 2018, ]U.S. Figure Skating
U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee "USOPC" under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act an ...
announced that the Knierims had left their coach, Dalilah Sappenfield
Dalilah Sappenfield is an American figure skating coach and choreographer who specializes in pair skating. She has worked as a coach since 1993 and is the 2008 USFSA/PSA Coach of the Year, an award she won after her pair teams won the gold me ...
, to train with 2018 Olympic champion Aljona Savchenko
Aljona Savchenko ( uk, Олена Валентинівна Савченко, ''Olena Valentynivna Savchenko''; German Romanization: ''Aljona Sawtschenko'', sometimes ''Aliona Savchenko''; born 19 January 1984) is a Ukrainian-born German pai ...
and her coaching staff. They began training part-time in Oberstdorf, Germany
Oberstdorf ( Low Alemannic: ''Oberschdorf'') is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps. It is the southernmost settlement in Germany and one of its highest towns.
At the&nb ...
.[
]
2018–2019 season: Third Grand Prix medal and coaching changes
The Knierims started their season at 2018 Nebelhorn Trophy where they won the silver medal. They placed 1st in the short program and finished 2nd overall, just one point from 1st. They then competed at their first Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
event of the season, 2018 Skate America
The 2018 Skate America was the first event of six in the 2018–19 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington on October 19–21. ...
, where they placed 4th. They were without a coach at the event, and it was announced on October 20, 2018, in the middle of the free skate, that they had very recently split from their coach Aljona Savchenko, which the Knierims confirmed after the event.[
In early November, the Knierims won the bronze medal at their second Grand Prix event, 2018 NHK Trophy, ahead of Canadians ]Kirsten Moore-Towers
Kirsten Moore-Towers (born July 1, 1992) is a Canadian retired competitive pair skater who competed internationally at the senior level for thirteen seasons from 2009 to 2022. She first achieved distinction partnered with Dylan Moscovitch, winnin ...
and Michael Marinaro
Michael Marinaro (born January 7, 1992) is a Canadian retired competitive pair skater. In an eight-year partnership with Kirsten Moore-Towers from 2014 to 2022, he achieved distinction both domestically and internationally, winning three Canadian ...
. They were coached at the event by Todd Sand
Todd Sand (born October 30, 1963) is an American pair skater. With his wife Jenni Meno, he is the 1998 World silver medalist, a two-time World bronze medalist (1995, 1996), and a three-time U.S. national champion (1994–96). With his previous ...
and had relocated to California during the two weeks between their Grand Prix events. They officially began training with Jenni Meno
Jenni N. Meno (born November 10, 1970 in Westlake, Ohio) is an American former competitive pair skater. With her husband Todd Sand, she is the 1998 World silver medalist, a two-time World bronze medalist (1995, 1996), and a three-time U.S. nat ...
and Todd Sand
Todd Sand (born October 30, 1963) is an American pair skater. With his wife Jenni Meno, he is the 1998 World silver medalist, a two-time World bronze medalist (1995, 1996), and a three-time U.S. national champion (1994–96). With his previous ...
in late November. In early December, they won the silver medal at 2018 Golden Spin of Zagreb, placing 1st in the free skate and finishing one point from 1st overall.
In January at the 2019 U.S. Championships, the Knierims placed a very unexpected seventh after a series of unusual mishaps. In the short program, they had an uncharacteristic big error on their signature triple twist, typically their best element.[ In the free skate, they surprisingly aborted their second lift and missed their third lift entirely. It was revealed after the competition that Chris Knierim had been suffering from a torn wrist ligament that requires surgery to repair. He remarked afterward that "the program went how our year went, a lot of unplanned mishaps."][ He underwent surgery to repair his wrist during the off-season.][
]
2019–2020 season: Third national title and retirement
The Knierims added Rafael Arutyunyan
Rafael Arutyunyan ( hy, Ռաֆայել Հարությունյան, ''Harutyunyan''; russian: Рафаэль Владимирович Арутюнян; born July 5, 1957) is an Armenian-American figure skating coach. He has coached in Armenia, Rus ...
to their coaching team during the off-season.[ They had a strong start to their season at 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy where they won the silver medal with a total score of 202.41. Their free skate score of 131.58 was the highest score ever achieved by a U.S. pair team under the current version of the judging system.][
The Knierims then competed at their first ]Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
event of the season, Skate Canada
Skate Canada ( Canadian French: ''Patinage Canada'', lit. "Skating Canada") is the national governing body for figure skating in Canada, recognized by the International Skating Union and the Canadian Olympic Committee. It organizes the annual ...
, where they skated strongly and placed fourth, less than three points behind reigning World silver medalists Evgenia Tarasova
Evgenia Maksimovna Tarasova (russian: Евгения Максимовна Тарасова; born 17 December 1994) is a Russian pair skater. With partner Vladimir Morozov, she is the 2022 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World medalist (20 ...
and Vladimir Morozov.[ At their second Grand Prix event, 2019 NHK Trophy, they placed fifth in the short program with a fall and a completely invalidated death spiral. After a free skate with many errors, including a costly missed lift, they placed seventh overall.][
In January at the 2020 U.S. Championships, the Knierims won their third national title with a score of 216.15, the highest score ever achieved in U.S. competition. They skated a completely clean short program and scored 77.06, a new record at the U.S. Championships, and won that segment by nearly seven points.][ After leaving some points on the table in an otherwise strong free skate performance, they placed second in that segment and first overall after having a nearly ten point lead over the silver medalists in the short program. The Knierims were the first U.S. pair team to win three national titles since 2002.][
Less than two weeks after the U.S. Championships, the Knierims competed at the 2020 Four Continents Championships in ]Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
. In the short program, they both erred on their side-by-side jump and then Chris slipped on the entry to their side-by-side spin, completely invalidating the element. They placed fifth in the segment.[ The Knierims withdrew the morning of the free skate, citing family illness.][
The Knierims were on the official entry list for the 2020 World Championships that was released on February 26, but on that same day it was announced that Chris Knierim was retiring from the sport, citing injuries and ongoing bouts of depression that had come to a head at the Four Continents Championships. It was also announced that Alexa Knierim would be seeking a new partner to continue her skating career. She stated, "I'm his wife over being his partner. We know skating ends and life continues. For us, our marriage, our relationship is what's important." Chris Knierim added, "I look forward to watching her keep skating and will support her in every way I can. Alexa is very tenacious and strong. She's fire on the ice. Nothing can stop her."][
On April 1, Alexa Knierim announced that she was forming a new partnership with ]Brandon Frazier
Brandon Michael Frazier (born November 19, 1992) is an American pair skater. With his skating partner, Alexa Knierim, he is the 2022 World champion, a 2022 Olympic silver medalist in the figure skating team event, the 2022 Grand Prix Final si ...
. Chris Knierim began coaching at the rink at which his wife trains.[
]
Programs
With Scimeca Knierim
With Poapst
With Carman
Competitive highlights
''GP: Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–98 season) is a series of international junior-level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men ...
''
With Scimeca Knierim
With Poapst
With Alba
With Carman
Detailed results
''Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only. ISU personal best scores highlighted in bold. Personal best scores from before the 2018-2019 judging system change are highlighted in bold and italic. These scores also denote the highest scores ever achieved by a U.S. pair under that system.''
With Scimeca Knierim
References
External links
*
Alexa Knierim / Chris Knierim
at US Figure Skating Fan Zone
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knierim, Christopher
American male pair skaters
Figure skaters from Colorado Springs, Colorado
Sportspeople from Tucson, Arizona
Figure skaters at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in figure skating
Medalists at the 2018 Winter Olympics
1987 births
Living people
Four Continents Figure Skating Championships medalists
21st-century American people