Ashley Cain-Gribble, Timothy LeDuc Win Pairs Title Ahead of Olympic Selection

If the two stamp their ticket to Beijing, LeDuc will be the first publicly out nonbinary athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics.

Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc won gold at the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Saturday in Nashville. This was their second time winning the event and it likely earned them a trip to the Winter Olympics in February. But it could have also just helped LeDuc make history. 

If the two stamp their ticket to Beijing, LeDuc will be the first publicly out nonbinary athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics.

A performance for a pair of champions. 🏆@icegirlash x Timothy LeDuc | #ToyotaUSChamps22 pic.twitter.com/YQrpIq5q3L

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 9, 2022

The moment your dreams come true. ❤️@icegirlash x Timothy LeDuc | #ToyotaUSChamps22 pic.twitter.com/2WAeOLIWE2

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 9, 2022

The pair totaled 225.23 points to defeat Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson, another pair fighting for an Olympic berth, and the two could be seen with tears in their eyes after the win. 

Calalang and Johnson won silver while Audrey Lu and Misha Mitrofanov took home bronze.

There are two spots available for the U.S. in the Olympics and 2021 national champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier are likely to secure the other. They had to withdraw from this year's championships because Frazier tested positive for COVID-19. 

The selection committee will meet Saturday night to decide and the official announcement will be made Sunday.