U.S. ice dance champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates withdrew from Skate America in two weeks, citing a focus on the U.S. Championships in January.
“Our training and preparation have been affected by the pandemic,” Chock and Bates said in a statement through U.S. Figure Skating.
Chock and Bates, two-time Olympians, won their first national title in five years last January. They won back-to-back Skate Americas in 2014 and 2015, season in which they earned world championships silver and bronze medals.
The rest of the top U.S. dance couples are entered in Skate America, given this season’s Grand Prix circuit is restricting athletes to their home competitions.