With just one Olympic pairs berth available, any mistake could cost a team dearly at the U.S. Championships.
Pre-event favorites Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim avoided a big one in the short program Thursday, taking the lead with 71.10 points.
The husband and wife tangled going into their throw triple flip. At least one of her skates appeared to scrape across his pant leg, and there was a hole in those pants afterward, according to figure skating expert Jackie Wong.
The Knierims, the highest-scoring American pair each of the last four seasons, still outpaced the competition in U.