5 Things to Know About Olympic Figure Skater Bradie Tennell
Meet the surprise star of the 2018 team.
The U.S. Figure Skating international committee have announced that 19-year-old Bradie Tennell earned a coveted spot on the 2018 Olympic team. Here's what you need to know about the young, up-and-coming skater.
1. She was considered a long-shot for the Olympic team.
Tennell suffered stress fractures to her lower back in 2015 and 2016, and wasn't considered an Olympic frontrunner, as The New York Times notes. Even Tennell wasn't banking on an invitation to the Pyeongchang, South Korea Olympics.
“Coming into this year, my main goal was to stay healthy,” Tennell said. “I knew it was an Olympic year and somebody had to go. I just kind of kept it in the back of my mind. I put out clean programs and relied on my training, really.”
2. But she's been on a winning streak for months.
In November, the young skater earned a bronze medal at the 2017 Bridgestone Skate America competition, her grand prix debut. Notably, she was the only U.S. woman to medal at the event.
A post shared by Bradie Tennell (@bradietennell)
A photo posted by on
Then, she won the 2018 Nationals with a Cinderella-inspired routine that left viewers in awe.
3. Tara Lipinski is a fan.
Tennell's spot on the Olympic team wasn't a surprise to everyone. Tara Lipinski, who won a gold medal in the 1998 Olympics, predicted the news.
"When I watched her skate in comparison to the rest of [the] group she had not only a very consistent technical arsenal and she never misses, that mentally she has blinders on, and that’s very difficult as a competitor to do,” Lipinski said, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
4. She posts the most adorable throwbacks on Instagram.
Tennell is well worth a follow on Instagram, where she posts pictures of her recent wins and adorable throwbacks to her early skating days and family photos.
A post shared by Bradie Tennell (@bradietennell)
A photo posted by on
5. She doesn't remember why she wanted to start skating.
Tennell has been skating since she was two, but she doesn't remember what got her interested in the sport.
A post shared by Bradie Tennell (@bradietennell)
A photo posted by on
"I don’t even know how I figured out what skating was," she told People. "My parents were in between houses at the time and I just kept begging my mom to go ice skating. She looked it up in the yellow pages, for the closest rink. And she took me to go skating."
Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
-
Sabrina Carpenter's Micro Shorts Are a Slice of Fashion History
She was brave to trot it out at the height of winter.
By Kelsey Stiegman Published
-
Tom Parker Bowles Says Stepfather King Charles Could be "Fantastic" at Another Job if He Wasn't Monarch
Just imagine.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Cartier Celebrates 100 Years of Trinity With a Miami Pop-Up
A look inside the Art Basel event.
By Michaela Bushkin Published
-
Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling Introduce the "Newest Member" of Their Family
"I'm crazy about her and excited to share life."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Jennifer Garner Is Reportedly Ready to Cut Ties With Jennifer Lopez, Unless Their Kids Are Involved
"Her friends feel she shouldn't have allowed herself to get so involved."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Hailey Bieber Shares Her First Photo of Baby Son Jack Blues Since Giving Birth—See the Sweet Shot
So freaking cute.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Actors Who Are Nothing Like Their Most Iconic Characters
Talk about awards-worthy, transformative performances.
By Katherine J. Igoe Published
-
The Question on Everyone's Lips: Did Beyoncé Skip the 2024 MTV VMAs?
It's been a few years since she last graced the carpet with her presence.
By Kelsey Stiegman Published
-
Why Isn't Selena Gomez at the 2024 VMAs?
Her absence became even more noticeable after her bestie Taylor Swift showed up.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Jennifer Lopez Thought Ben Affleck Was a "Changed Man" But Being Married to Him Was "Impossible"
"Friends think he is selfish, sullen, impossible to please most of the time and negative."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Naomi Osaka Is Pregnant With Her First Child
Such lovely news!
By Iris Goldsztajn Published