At 25 years old, U.S. figure skater Mariah Bell is making her Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Games after becoming the oldest woman in 95 years to win the national championship.
Now she'll face Russian teenagers setting the figure skating world ablaze.
Bell, a Colorado homer who was born in Oklahoma, finally broke through at nationals in her ninth appearance, winning both the short program and free skate to earn her long-awaited Olympic trip.
Though it's her first, she says she's more than ready.
“I think there’s a lot to say about experience," said Bell, whose score of 216.25 points at nationals was far behind the world-record 272.71 set by Russia’s Kamila Valieva this season. “You can tap into experience and really use it to your advantage in a lot of situations, and I definitely have that."
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Bell started skating when she was just 3 years old. She has one sister, Morgan, who also competes, and has been coached by figure skating icon Adam Rippon.
Bell will have to wait just a bit to get in on the skating action, though. She is expected to compete in the short program, which you can watch here on Feb. 15, and in the free skate two days later. Bookmark this link to watch live at that time.
As you wait, learn more about the USA figure skating team featuring in the Olympics here. And check the schedule for all your favorite skating stars.
