Brandon Frazier | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier at the2019 Internationaux de France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Full name | Brandon Michael Frazier | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | (1992-11-19)November 19, 1992 (age 32) Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hometown | Wesley Chapel, Florida | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.89 m (6 ft2+1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Figure skating career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | ![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Discipline | Pair skating | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Partner | Alexa Knierim (2020–23) Haven Denney (2011–20) Mandy Garza (2010–11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coach | Todd Sand Jenni Meno Chris Knierim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skating club | All Year Figure Skating Club, Los Angeles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Began skating | 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Retired | 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Brandon Michael Frazier (born November 19, 1992) is an American former competitivepair skater. With his skating partner,Alexa Knierim, he is the2022 World champion, the2023 World silver medalist, a2022 Olympic gold medalist[1] in the figure skating team event, the2022 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, a two-timeU.S. National champion (2021,2023), and a three-timeGrand Prix gold medalist.
With his former partner,Haven Denney, he is a four-timeGrand Prix medalist (2 silver, 2 bronze), the2013 World Junior champion, and the2017 U.S. National champion.
Brandon Frazier was born inPhoenix, Arizona.[2] He competed as aroller skater from 1998 until 2004.[3]
Brandon Frazier and Haven Denney first teamed up in 2002 as roller skaters before switching to the ice.[4][5] As figure skaters, they competed together for three seasons from 2005 to 2008,[6] coached by Jim Peterson andLyndon Johnston.[7] After two seasons on the juvenile level,[6] the pair moved up a level and won the 2008 U.S. intermediate bronze medal.[5] The skaters decided to part ways with their families living in different states.[6]
Skating with Mandy Garza, Frazier was 8th at a2010–11 ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Austria and 5th on the junior level at the2011 U.S. Championships.[8] Garza and Frazier announced the end of their partnership in February 2011.[9]
Denney/Frazier teamed up for the second time in the spring of 2011.[4][5] They competed on theJunior Grand Prix series, placing 8th inLatvia and 7th inAustria. They won the junior title at the2012 U.S. Championships and were assigned to the2012 World Junior Championships, where they placed 4th. The pair was coached byDalilah Sappenfield inColorado Springs, Colorado until the fall of 2012 when they moved toCoral Springs, Florida to train withJohn Zimmerman andSilvia Fontana at Coral Gables.[10]
Denney/Frazier finished 4th at theJunior Grand Prix event held inLake Placid, New York. They placed fifth at the2013 U.S. Championships in January. In March, they won the gold medal at the2013 World Junior Championships, the first American pair to win the title since2007.
Denney/Frazier placed fifth at both their Grand Prix events,2013 Skate Canada International and2013 NHK Trophy. In January, they placed fifth at the2014 U.S. Championships. A short time after, they placed fourth at the2014 Four Continents Championships.
Denney/Frazier won medals at twoChallenger Series events – gold at the2014 CS Lombardia Trophy and silver at the2014 CS Skate Canada Autumn Classic. In theGrand Prix series, they won their first Grand Prix medal, silver, at2014 Skate America and then finished fourth at the2014 Rostelecom Cup. In January, Denney/Frazier won the silver medal at the2015 U.S. Championships. After Nationals, they began training full-time underIngo Steuer.[6] They finished 7th at the2015 Four Continents Championships and 12th at the2015 World Championships.
In April 2015, Denney/Frazier changed their training location fromCoral Springs, Florida toWest Palm Beach, Florida.[11] Soon after, on April 22, Denney sustained a knee injury while practicing a throw double flip off the ice.[12] She said, "When I landed, my foot stayed, and my body kept rotating," and she then heard "a couple of loud pops".[13] Having torn theanterior cruciate ligament,lateral collateral ligament, and bilateral andlateral meniscus in her right knee,[13] she underwent surgery on April 28 at the Steadman Clinic inVail, Colorado.[12]
Denney put no weight on her right leg for six weeks and then began physical therapy before returning to the ice in October 2015.[13] During this time, Frazier worked on his skating skills underMarina Zueva and her team inCanton, Michigan.[12] In October, the pair started training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Initially limited to basic stroking and crossovers, Denney began cautiously practicing jumps in late November.[13]
Denney/Frazier did not compete in the 2015–16 season. By April 2016, they were training withRockne Brubaker andStefania Berton at the Fox Valley Ice Center inGeneva, Illinois.[13][14]
Denney/Frazier returned to competition, beginning at the2016 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial, where they placed fourth. They were assigned to twoGrand Prix events,2016 Skate America and2016 Skate Canada International.[15] They won the silver medal at Skate America and then placed fourth at Skate Canada. They competed at a second Challenger event, the2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb, where they placed fourth.
At the2017 U.S. Championships, Denney/Frazier won their first national title. Denney commented, "I'm just so proud of where we are right now. We've worked so hard through our ups and downs and everything. I'm just very appreciative and blessed to be here."[16] They were assigned to the2017 Four Continents Championships, where they finished eighth, and the2017 World Championships, where they placed twentieth in the short program and did not qualify for the free skate.
Denney/Frazier began the season at the2017 U.S. Classic, where they placed fifth. They placed seventh at both of theirGrand Prix events,2017 Skate America and2017 Skate Canada International.
At the2018 U.S. Championships, Denney/Frazier placed fifth. They were not selected for the2018 Winter Olympics or any ISU Championship events. In spring 2018, the pair decided to rejoin the coaching team ofJohn Zimmerman andSilvia Fontana, who were based inWesley Chapel, Florida.[17]
Denney developed a stress fracture in her ankle early in the summer.[18] Denney/Frazier won the bronze medal at their Challenger event to start the season, the2018 CS Autumn Classic International. They placed sixth at2018 Skate Canada International but had to withdraw from their second Grand Prix event, the2018 Internationaux de France because Denney's stress fracture had become too painful for her to skate.[18]
At the2019 U.S. Championships, Denney/Frazier won the silver medal, placing third in the short program and second in the free skate, making some errors on their jumps in the latter. Frazier remarked, "There were some things we left out on the table, and that's what we are going to shoot for, to get better."[19] At the2019 Four Continents Championships, their final event of the season, they finished in fifth place. Side-by-side jump errors continued to plague them, which Denney said would be a focus for improvement in the off-season.[20]
For the new season, Denney/Frazier revived their acclaimedThe Lion King free skate from the 2014–2015 season. After placing sixth at the2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, they won the bronze medal at2019 Skate America, defeating reigning US national championsCain-Gribble/LeDuc.[21] At their secondGrand Prix event, the2019 Internationaux de France, they won the bronze medal. They placed third in the short program, with Denney underrotating their triple Salchow jump.[22] She landed a clean triple Salchow in the free skate, though they botched their intended three-jump combination, and they placed second in that segment to finish third overall. They again placed ahead of Cain-Gribble/LeDuc.[23]
Denney/Frazier struggled at the2020 U.S. Championships, beginning in the short program where Denney fell on their throw and then popped their planned triple jump, resulting in them finishing sixth in that segment.[24] After further side-by-side jump errors and another throw fall in the free skate, they placed fifth overall.[25]
On March 25, Denney/Frazier announced that they had ended their partnership.[26]
On April 1, Frazier announced that he was teaming up withAlexa Knierim, whose husband and former partnerChris Knierim had opted to retire.[27] The new pair started skating together in May 2020 due to restrictions caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic. They began training inIrvine, California, atGreat Park Ice, with coachesTodd Sand,Jenni Meno,Rafael Arutunian,Chris Knierim, and Christine Binder. They also took lessons remotely from coachNina Mozer.[28]
Knierim/Frazier won the gold medal in theirGrand Prix debut at2020 Skate America, which also marked their competitive debut as a pair. This event was attended by skaters training in the United States due to travel restrictions caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[29] The pair skated strongly and solidly in both programs, placing 1st in the short program with a score of 74.19 and 1st the free skate with a score of 140.58, for a total of 214.77 to earn their first Grand Prix title.[30][31]
At the2021 U.S. Championships in January, Knierim/Frazier won their first national title together with a score of 228.10, the highest score ever achieved in U.S. competition. They placed 1st in the short program with a score of 77.46 and 1st in the free skate with a score of 150.64, setting new U.S. Championship records in both segments. They won the gold medal by a dominant 23-point margin with two strong and well-executed programs. Frazier is the first male U.S. pair skater to win national titles with two different partners since 2012.[32]
At the2021 World Championships in March, Knierim/Frazier placed 7th in their Worlds debut. They skated well enough to finish 7th in both segments of the competition, despite Frazier doubling his planned triple jump in the short program and the pair counting multiple errors in the free skate.[33] This was the best result by a U.S. pair since 2015 when Knierim achieved the same placement with her former partner.[34]
In April, Knierim/Frazier competed at the2021 World Team Trophy and helped Team USA win the silver medal. They placed second among the pairs after finishing fourth in the short program and second in the free skate. Their free skate score was the highest score a U.S. pair has ever received from an international judging panel under the current judging system.[35]
Knierim/Frazier skated strongly at theCranberry Cup International, where they won the silver medal behind Russian pairEvgenia Tarasova andVladimir Morozov.[36] Their total score of 205.87 was a new international personal best. In September, they won the gold medal at theJohn Nicks Pairs Challenge, anISU international competition in New York City. They placed 1st in both segments of the competition with two strong programs and earned all new personal best scores. Their total score of 212.55 was the highest score a U.S. pair has ever achieved under an international judging panel.[37]
In their firstGrand Prix event of the season,2021 Skate America, Knierim/Frazier placed fourth and narrowly missed the podium, just 2.56 points behind reigning World bronze medalistsBoikova/Kozlovskii. They were fifth in the short program after Frazier fell out of his triple jump. They placed second in the free skate with a strong performance, earning a new personal best score and surpassing their own record for the highest score a U.S. pair has ever earned under the current international judging system.[38] At their second Grand Prix event, the2021 Internationaux de France, the pair won the bronze medal. They were narrowly fourth in the short program, 1.69 points behind CanadiansJames/Radford, and then delivered a strong free skate to overtake the Canadians and place third in that segment just 0.59 points behind the second place Russian pair.[39][40] They then competed at aChallenger event,2021 Golden Spin of Zagreb, where they placed second in the short program, just 0.51 out of first place. After an uncharacteristically shaky free skate, they finished fifth overall.
Knierim/Frazier entered the2022 U.S. Championships as the favorites to win and repeat as national champions. They had been the U.S. pair with the best results, the highest scores, and the most consistent scoring ability across an extended period leading into Nationals. After arriving at the competition, Frazier began to feel unwell, and he tested positive forCOVID-19 on January 5, the day before the short program.[41] The pair was forced to withdraw from the competition, and Frazier shared an emotional video message in which he expressed his devastation over not being able to compete. As the leading U.S. pair, Knierim/Frazier successfully petitioned and earned an Olympic spot. On January 9, they were named to the2022 U.S. Olympic team and the2022 World team, and Frazier stated he felt "100 percent back to normal." Knierim added, "I am super honored and grateful to be named to the team with Brandon. I believe the best is yet to come. We were so ready and prepared to compete here this week, it was devastating for us, but obviously, right now, we're on cloud nine." This was to be Frazier's first Olympic appearance, while Knierim became the first U.S. pair skater to make two Olympic teams in 20 years.[42][43]
At the2022 Winter Olympics in February, Knierim/Frazier were the American pair entry in thefigure skating team event and helped the U.S. team win the silver medal. They placed a strong third in the short program segment with a clean skate and earned a new personal best score of 75.00 points.[44][45] They then finished fifth in the free skate segment.[46] In thepair event, Knierim/Frazier placed sixth, which was the best result by a U.S. pair in 20 years.[47] They skated a clean short program and were in sixth place after that segment.[48] In the free skate, they delivered another strong program and earned a new personal best score of 138.45 and a new personal best total score of 212.68. These scores surpassed their own records for the highest scores ever achieved by a U.S. pair under the international judging system. Frazier called the experience a "true dream come true."[49]
In March, Knierim/Frazier won the gold medal at the2022 World Championships inMontpellier, France. Russian skaters were banned from competing by theInternational Skating Union due to their country'sinvasion of Ukraine, and theChinese Skating Association also did not send athletes to compete. As those countries' athletes comprised the entirety of the top five pairs at the Olympics, this had a big impact on the field for Worlds, and Knierim/Frazier entered the event as medal favorites.[50] After skating strongly in both the short program and the free skate, the pair won their first world title by a 22-point margin with a personal best score of 221.09. They won the short program with a personal best score of 76.88.[51] They won the free skate with another new personal best of 144.21. All of their scores set new records for the highest scores ever achieved by a U.S. pair internationally. Knierim/Frazier became the first American World champions in pairs sinceBabilonia/Gardner in1979. Frazier said, "We couldn't have asked for a better ending of the season."[52]
Knierim/Frazier began their season in October at2022 Skate America, where they won the gold medal, their firstGrand Prix title in a full-fledged Grand Prix event. They skated a solid short program to place first in that segment and went on to place first in the free skate as well. Frazier, speaking after the free skate, noted that it was their first event of the season and that "tonight was a fight, so a lot of grit out there."[53] Knierim/Frazier became the first U.S. pair since 2006 and the third U.S. pair in history to win aGrand Prix title.[54]
Knierim/Frazier won the gold medal at their second Grand Prix event,2022 MK John Wilson Trophy, by a dominant 21.66-point margin. They earned all-new season's best scores and won both segments of the competition with a strong short program and some errors in the free skate.[55] Knierim/Frazier became the first U.S. pair to win two Grand Prix events in one season, and the first U.S. pair to qualify to theGrand Prix Final since 2015 when Knierim qualified with her former partner.[56][57]
At the2022 Grand Prix Final, Knierim/Frazier won the silver medal, narrowly missing the gold medal by just one point. They entered the event as co-favorites for the title alongside the top-seededMiura/Kihara of Japan. In the short program, they skated cleanly except for a hand down by Frazier on their side-by-side jump, and earned a new personal best score of 77.65 to place second, only 0.43 points behind Miura/Kihara.[58] They followed it up in the free skate with another strong performance with two shaky jumps and earned new season's best free skate and total scores.[59] They were narrowly outscored in that segment, just 0.87 behind Miura/Kihara's skate which contained errors. Knierim/Frazier became the first U.S. pair in history to win a Grand Prix Final medal. Their total score was the second highest ever by a U.S. pair in international competition, behind only their score from the World Championships the previous season.[60]
At the2023 U.S. Championships, Knierim/Frazier won their second national title by a dominant 31.11 points, the largest margin of victory in history, which surpassed their own previous record set in 2021. They skated a clean short program and led the competition by a commanding 15.1 point margin.[61] Their short program score of 81.96 set a new record for the highest score ever earned at the U.S. Championships.[62] They went on to place first in the free skate as well with a strong performance en route to the gold medal.[63] This was Frazier's third national title overall and Knierim's fifth national title overall, tying her with five other skaters for the most U.S. titles by a pair skater in the past 75 years.[64] Knierim/Frazier declined assignment to the2023 Four Continents Championships, opting instead to participate inArt on Ice shows in Switzerland.[65]
The leadup to the2023 World Championships was a difficult time for the team, after their coachTodd Sand had aheart attack on March 2 and was hospitalized for an extended period.[66] Competing inSaitama, Japan, Knierim/Frazier won the silver medal, their second consecutive world medal. They placed second in the short program after Frazier fell on his triple toe loop, but had an otherwise strong skate.[67] They won the free skate with a strong performance despite both making jump errors, but remained second overall, 4.68 points behind Miura/Kihara.[68] Their free skate score of 142.84 and total score of 217.48 were their season's best scores, as well as the second highest scores ever achieved by a U.S. pair, behind only their scores from the previous World Championships. Knierim/Frazier became the first U.S. pair to medal in consecutiveWorld Championships since their coachesJenni Meno and Todd Sand did so in 1995 and 1996. Knierim/Frazier became just the seventh U.S. pair in history to win multiple World medals.[69] Afterwards Knierim stated, "This whole week, this whole time, this program, it was all for our coach. That's what our hearts are."[70]
At the2023 World Team Trophy in April, Knierim/Frazier helped Team USA win the gold medal by a dominant margin. They placed first among the pairs, winning both segments of the competition over Miura/Kihara of Team Japan. They skated a clean short program and earned a new personal best score of 82.25.[71] In the free skate, they skated a very strong program aside from a fall on their triple salchow and earned a new personal best score of 147.87. These scores, as well as their new personal best total score of 230.12, surpassed their own records for highest scores ever achieved by a U.S. pair team.[72]
Following the2022–23 figure skating season, Knierim/Frazier left competitive skating for the foreseeable future. In addition to pursuing his education, Frazier began working as a coach at Great Park Ice alongside former coaches,Jenni Meno andTodd Sand.[73]
During the2024 Paris Olympics, a medal ceremony was held for Knierim/Frazier and their teammates from the2022 Olympic Figure Skating Team Event, where they were awarded their newly allocated Olympic team gold medals.[74][75]
Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
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2022–2023 [76] |
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2021–2022 [77] |
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2020–2021 [78] |
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Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
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2019–2020 [79] |
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2018–2019 [80] |
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2017–2018 [81][82] |
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2016–2017 [2][14] |
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2014–2015 [83][84] |
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2013–2014 [10][85] |
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2012–2013 [86] |
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2011–2012 [3] |
|
Season | Short program | Free skating |
---|---|---|
2010–11 [9] |
| |
2009–10 [9] |
Season | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 |
---|---|---|---|
Winter Olympics | 6th | ||
Winter Olympics (Team event) | 1st | ||
World Championships | 7th | 1st | 2nd |
Grand Prix Final | 2nd | ||
U.S. Championships | 1st | 1st | |
World Team Trophy | 2nd (2nd) | 1st (1st) | |
GPFrance | 3rd | ||
GPSkate America | 1st | 4th | 1st |
GPWilson Trophy | 1st | ||
CSGolden Spin of Zagreb | 5th | ||
Cranberry Cup | 2nd | ||
John Nicks Challenge | 1st |
Season | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
World Championships | 12th | 20th | |||||
Four Continents Championships | 4th | 7th | 8th | 5th | |||
U.S. Championships | 5th | 5th | 2nd | 1st | 5th | 2nd | 5th |
GPFrance | WD | 3rd | |||||
GPNHK Trophy | 5th | ||||||
GPRostelecom Cup | 4th | ||||||
GPSkate America | 2nd | 2nd | 7th | 3rd | |||
GPSkate Canada | 5th | 4th | 7th | 6th | |||
CSAutumn Classic | 2nd | 3rd | |||||
CSGolden Spin of Zagreb | 4th | ||||||
CSLombardia Trophy | 1st | ||||||
CSNebelhorn Trophy | 6th | ||||||
CSNepela Memorial | 4th | 4th | |||||
CSU.S. Classic | 4th |
Season | 2011–12 | 2012–13 |
---|---|---|
World Junior Championships | 4th | 1st |
U.S. Championships | 1st | |
JGPAustria | 7th | |
JGPLatvia | 8th | |
JGPUnited States | 4th |
Season | 2010–11 |
---|---|
U.S. Championships | 5th |
JGPAustria | 8th |
Segment | Type | Score | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Total | TSS | 230.12 | 2023 World Team Trophy |
Short program | TSS | 82.25 | 2023 World Team Trophy |
TES | 45.38 | 2023 World Team Trophy | |
PCS | 36.87 | 2023 World Team Trophy | |
Free skating | TSS | 147.87 | 2023 World Team Trophy |
TES | 74.71 | 2023 World Team Trophy | |
PCS | 74.16 | 2023 World Team Trophy |
Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
Oct 25–27, 2020 | ![]() | 1 | 74.19 | 1 | 140.58 | 1 | 214.77 |
Jan 11–21, 2021 | ![]() | 1 | 77.46 | 1 | 150.64 | 1 | 228.10 |
Mar 22–28, 2021 | ![]() | 7 | 64.67 | 7 | 127.43 | 7 | 192.10 |
Apr 15–18, 2021 | ![]() | 4 | 65.68 | 2 | 133.63 | 2 (2) | 199.31 |
Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
Aug 11–15, 2021 | ![]() | 2 | 69.83 | 2 | 136.04 | 2 | 205.87 |
Sep 9–10, 2021 | ![]() | 1 | 76.09 | 1 | 136.46 | 1 | 212.55 |
Oct 22–24, 2021 | ![]() | 5 | 66.37 | 2 | 136.60 | 4 | 202.97 |
Nov 19–21, 2021 | ![]() | 4 | 70.15 | 3 | 131.54 | 3 | 201.69 |
Dec 9–11, 2021 | ![]() | 2 | 66.44 | 5 | 120.25 | 5 | 186.69 |
Feb 4–7, 2022 | ![]() | 3 | 75.00 | 5 | 128.97 | 1 | – |
Feb 18–19, 2022 | ![]() | 6 | 74.23 | 7 | 138.45 | 6 | 212.68 |
Mar 21–27, 2022 | ![]() | 1 | 76.88 | 1 | 144.21 | 1 | 221.09 |
Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
Oct 21–23, 2022 | ![]() | 1 | 75.19 | 1 | 126.20 | 1 | 201.39 |
Nov 11–13, 2022 | ![]() | 1 | 75.88 | 1 | 129.97 | 1 | 205.85 |
Dec 8–11, 2022 | ![]() | 2 | 77.65 | 2 | 135.63 | 2 | 213.28 |
Jan 23–29, 2022 | ![]() | 1 | 81.96 | 1 | 146.01 | 1 | 227.97 |
Mar 22–26, 2023 | ![]() | 2 | 74.64 | 1 | 142.84 | 2 | 217.48 |
Apr 13–16, 2023 | ![]() | 1 | 82.25 | 1 | 147.87 | 1 (1) | 230.12 |
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