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Mariah Cheyenne Bell (born April 18, 1996) is an American former competitive
figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic d ...
. She is the 2022 U.S. national champion, 2020 U.S. national silver medalist, and two-time U.S. national bronze medalist (
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
,
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
). She is also the
2020 Skate America The 2020 Guaranteed Rate Skate America was the first event in the 2020–21 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 23–24. Meda ...
gold medalist,
2016 Skate America The 2016 Skate America was the first event of six in the 2016–17 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Sears Centre in Chicago, Illinois, on October 21–23. Medals we ...
silver medalist, the 2019
Internationaux de France The Grand Prix de France is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by the French Federation of Ice Sports () (FFIS). The first iteration of the Grand Prix de France was h ...
bronze medalist, the
2019 Rostelecom Cup The 2019 Rostelecom Cup was the fifth event of the 2019–20 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Megasport Sport Palace in Moscow, Russia from November 15–17. Medals wer ...
bronze medalist, the
2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy The 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy was held in September 2019 in Oberstdorf, Germany. It was part of the 2019–20 ISU Challenger Series. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dance. Entries ...
champion, and the 2016 CS U.S. International Classic silver medalist. Bell finished within the top six at four ISU Championships, with her best result being fourth place at the
2022 World Figure Skating Championships The 2022 World Figure Skating Championships were held from March 21–27, 2022, at the Sud de France Arena in Montpellier, France. Sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU) and hosted this year by Skate Canada, the World Championsh ...
and represented the United States at the
2022 Winter Olympics The 2022 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), were an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing, China, and surrounding areas wit ...
.


Personal life

Mariah Bell was born on April 18, 1996, in
Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...
. She is the second child of Kendra and Andy Bell. Her older sister, Morgan, has skated with Disney on Ice. At age 12, Bell moved with her mother and sister from
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
to
Westminster, Colorado The City of Westminster is a home rule municipality located in Adams and Jefferson counties, Colorado, United States. The city population was 116,317 at the 2020 United States census with 71,240 residing in Adams County and 45,077 residing i ...
. She graduated from
Ralston Valley High School Ralston Valley High School (RVHS or RV) is a Comprehensive high school, comprehensive, four-year public high school in Arvada, Colorado, Arvada, a northwest suburb of Denver, Colorado. Opened in 2000, its enrollment is around 1800 students. Ral ...
in 2014, and was named the school's Super Senior.


Career


Early years

Bell began skating at the age of four because of her sister. Early in her career; she was coached by Megan Faulkner, Billy Schneider, and Candy Brown. At age 12, she joined Cindy Sullivan in
Westminster, Colorado The City of Westminster is a home rule municipality located in Adams and Jefferson counties, Colorado, United States. The city population was 116,317 at the 2020 United States census with 71,240 residing in Adams County and 45,077 residing i ...
. Bell finished fifth in the junior division at the 2012 U.S. Championships. She was assigned to the 2012 Gardena Spring Trophy and won the junior silver medal. Bell won the silver medal in the junior division of the 2013 U.S. Championships, behind
Polina Edmunds Polina Edmunds Bast (born May 18, 1998) is a retired American figure skater. She is the 2015 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, 2015 Four Continents champion, the 2014 CS U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, 2014 CS U.S. Classi ...
.


2013–14 season

During the 2013–14 season, Bell was coached by Cindy Sullivan in
Westminster, Colorado The City of Westminster is a home rule municipality located in Adams and Jefferson counties, Colorado, United States. The city population was 116,317 at the 2020 United States census with 71,240 residing in Adams County and 45,077 residing i ...
. Making her
ISU Junior Grand Prix The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–98 season) is a series of international figure skating competition, junior-level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded ...
debut, she won a bronze medal in
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and finished seventh in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. At the 2014 U.S. Championships, Bell finished thirteenth. Soon after her high school graduation in 2014, she moved to
Monument, Colorado Monument is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule town situated at the base of the Rampart Range in El Paso County, Colorado, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Monument is one of the three communities that ...
so that she could train under Kori Ade.


2014–15 season

Bell's senior international debut came in the 2014–15 season. She competed at two
ISU Challenger Series The ISU Challenger Series is a series of international figure skating competitions. Established by the International Skating Union in the 2014–15 figure skating season, 2014–15 season, it is a group of senior-level events ranked below the ISU ...
events, the
2014 Nebelhorn Trophy The 2014 Nebelhorn Trophy was a senior international figure skating competition in the 2014–15 season. Part of the 2014–15 ISU Challenger Series, it was held on 24–27 September 2014 at the Eislaufzentrum Oberstdorf in Oberstdorf, Germany. ...
where she finished fifth, and the 2014 Golden Spin of Zagreb where she placed eighth. She finished sixth at the 2015 U.S. Championships, having ranked twelfth in the short program and 6th in the free skate.


2015–16 season

In 2015–16, Bell started her season on the
ISU Challenger Series The ISU Challenger Series is a series of international figure skating competitions. Established by the International Skating Union in the 2014–15 figure skating season, 2014–15 season, it is a group of senior-level events ranked below the ISU ...
(CS), placing sixth at the 2015 U.S. International Classic and 13th at the
2015 Ondrej Nepela Trophy The 2015 Ondrej Nepela Trophy was the 23rd edition of an annual senior international figure skating competition held in Bratislava, Slovakia. A part of the 2015–16 ISU Challenger Series, it was held on October 1–3, 2015 at the Ondrej Nepela I ...
. Making her
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural ''Grands Prix'') most commonly refers to: * Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition ** List of Formula One Grands Prix, an auto-racing championship *** Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious ...
debut, Bell finished 8th at
2015 Skate America The 2015 Progressive Skate America was the first event of six in the 2015–16 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ...
, scoring personal bests in the free skate and combined total score. She placed eleventh at the 2016 U.S. Championships.


2016–17 season

Bell changed coaches in August 2016, joining
Rafael Arutyunyan Rafael Arutyunyan (, ''Harutyunyan''; ; born July 5, 1957) is an Armenian-American figure skating coach. He has coached in Armenia, Russia and the United States. Personal life Arutyunyan was born on July 5, 1957, in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, and ...
in
Lakewood, California Lakewood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 82,496 at the 2020 census. It is bordered by Long Beach on the west, northwest and south, Bellflower on the north, Cerritos on the northeast, Cypress on t ...
. She landed on the podium at two of her
2016–17 ISU Challenger Series The 2016–17 ISU Challenger Series was held from September to December 2016. It was the third season that the ISU Challenger Series, a group of senior-level international figure skating competitions, was held. Competitions This season, the se ...
assignments. Ranked second in both segments, she took silver at the 2016 CS U.S. International Classic, behind
Satoko Miyahara is a retired Japanese figure skater. She is the 2015 World silver medalist, the 2018 World bronze medalist, the 2016 Four Continents champion, a two-time Four Continents silver medalist (2014, 2015), a two-time Grand Prix Final silver medali ...
. At the 2016 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial, she placed fifth in the short, fourth in the free, and third overall behind
Maria Sotskova Maria Romanovna Sotskova (pron. ''SOT-skoh-vah''; ; born 12 April 2000) is a retired Russian figure skater. She is the 2017–18 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, 2017 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, a two-time Internationaux de France silve ...
and
Yulia Lipnitskaya Yulia Vyacheslavovna Lipnitskaya (also spelled Julia Lipnitskaia; , ; born 5 June 1998) is a Russian retired competitive figure skater. She was part of the Russian team that won the Figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics – Team trophy, 2 ...
. She was invited to the
2016 Skate America The 2016 Skate America was the first event of six in the 2016–17 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Sears Centre in Chicago, Illinois, on October 21–23. Medals we ...
to replace the injured
Angela Wang Angela Wang (born July 30, 1996) is an American figure skater. She is the 2017 Bavarian Open champion, a three-time medalist on the ISU Challenger Series, and a three-time medalist on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) series. Her JGP medals include ...
. She won the silver medal behind
Ashley Wagner Ashley Elisabeth Wagner (born May 16, 1991) is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships, 2016 World silver medalist, a Figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics, 2014 Olympic bronze medali ...
after placing sixth in the short program and first in the free skate. In January 2017, Bell received the bronze medal at the U.S. Championships, earning her a spot on the Four Continents and World teams. In February, she placed sixth at the 2017 Four Continents Championships in
Gangneung Gangneung (; ) is a list of cities in South Korea, municipal city in Gangwon, South Korea, Gangwon province, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)Population & Households. Retrieved Ja ...
, South Korea. She later placed twelfth at her first trip to the 2017 World Championships in
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
, Finland.


2017–18 season

Bell began her season placing fifth at the
U.S. International Figure Skating Classic The U.S. International Figure Skating Classic was an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by U.S. Figure Skating. The competition debuted in 2012 in Salt Lake City, and when ...
behind teammates
Mirai Nagasu is an American former competitive Figure skating, figure skater. She is a Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics – Team event, 2018 Olympic Games team event bronze medalist, three-time Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Four Co ...
and
Karen Chen Karen Chen (born August 16, 1999) is an American figure skater. She is a Figure skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics – Team event, 2022 Olympic Games team event gold medalist, two-time U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, CS U.S. Classic ...
and was assigned to the
Rostelecom Cup The Rostelecom Cup () – originally known as the Cup of Russia () – was an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by the Figure Skating Federation of Russia. The first i ...
and the
NHK Trophy The NHK Trophy is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by the Japan Skating Federation. The first NHK Trophy was held in 1979 in Tokyo. When the ISU launched the Champ ...
on the
2017–18 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating The 2017–18 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating was a series of senior international competitions organized by the International Skating Union that were held from October through December 2017. Medals were awarded in men's singles, women's singles ...
circuit. After a sixth-place finish at the
2017 Rostelecom Cup The 2017 Rostelecom Cup was the first event of six in the 2017–18 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Megasport Arena in Moscow on October 20–22. Medals were awar ...
, Bell placed ninth at the
2017 NHK Trophy The 2017 NHK Trophy was the 4th event of six in the 2017–18 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held in Osaka on November 10–12. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men ...
. Bell was named as the second alternate to the
2018 Winter Olympics The 2018 Winter Olympics (), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and also known as PyeongChang 2018 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held between 9 and 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang County, South Ko ...
team after placing fifth at the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose. On the withdrawal of
Karen Chen Karen Chen (born August 16, 1999) is an American figure skater. She is a Figure skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics – Team event, 2022 Olympic Games team event gold medalist, two-time U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, CS U.S. Classic ...
, she was named to the
2018 World Figure Skating Championships The 2018 World Figure Skating Championships were held in Milan, Italy from 19–25 March 2018, at the Mediolanum Forum. Records The following new ISU best scores were set during this competition: Qualification Age and minimum TES requ ...
team and placed twelfth.


2018–19 season

Bell began the season at
2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy The 2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy was held in September 2018 at the Eissportzentrum Oberstdorf. It is part of the 2018–19 ISU Challenger Series. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dance. ...
, where she placed fourth overall with a score of 188.97. She was invited to
2018 Skate Canada International The 2018 Skate Canada International was the second event of the 2018–19 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec from October 26–28. Medals we ...
, where she placed fourth with a score of 190.25. In November, at
2018 NHK Trophy The 2018 NHK Trophy was the fourth event of six in the 2018–19 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Hiroshima Green Arena in Hiroshima on November 9–11. Medals were aw ...
, she placed fifth overall with a score of 198.96, the highest in her career. She won the bronze medal at the 2018 CS Golden Spin after placing fourth in the short program and third in the free program, earning 196.60 points. At the 2019 U.S. Championships, Bell underrotated the second part of her combination and placed third in the short program, behind
Bradie Tennell Bradie Tennell (born January 31, 1998) is an American Figure skating, figure skater. She is a Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics, 2018 Olympic team event bronze medalist, the 2025 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, 2025 Four Co ...
and
Alysa Liu Alysa Liu (born August 8, 2005) is an American figure skater. She is the 2025 World champion, 2022 World bronze medalist, 2021 Nebelhorn Trophy champion, 2021 Lombardia Trophy champion, and a two-time U.S. national champion (2019, 2020). At ...
. She placed second in the free skate, behind Liu, winning the bronze medal overall, the second of her career. Because the 13-year-old Liu was ineligible for senior (or even junior) international competition, Bell joined silver medalist Tennell on the American team for the 2019 World Championships, as well as the 2019 Four Continents Championships. Bell placed third in the short program at Four Continents, setting a new personal best and winning a bronze small medal. The free skate proved to be less successful, with a fall on a triple loop jump and a doubled Lutz, and she fell to sixth overall. Bell finished ninth at the
2019 World Figure Skating Championships The 2019 World Figure Skating Championships were held in Saitama, Japan, from March 18–24, 2019. Records The following new ISU best scores were set during this competition: Qualification Age and minimum TES requirements Skaters are ...
with a career-best total score of 208.07. Bell's attendance at the World Championships became enmeshed in controversy when she was accused of deliberately causing an on-ice incident in which the blade of her free leg hit South Korean skater
Lim Eun-soo Lim Eun-soo (; born February 26, 2003) is a retired South Korean figure skater. She is the 2018 Rostelecom Cup bronze medalist, the two-time Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy, CS Asian Open champion (2018 CS Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy, 2018 ...
during a practice session, causing a cut on Lim's calf. Lim's agency, All That Sports, stated to Agence-France Presse that the incident had been intentional and part of a pattern of bullying by Bell. Upon request from the Korean Skating Federation, the International Skating Union conducted an investigation. On March 21, the ISU stated that it found no evidence that Bell had sought to injure Lim intentionally.
Rafael Arutyunyan Rafael Arutyunyan (, ''Harutyunyan''; ; born July 5, 1957) is an Armenian-American figure skating coach. He has coached in Armenia, Russia and the United States. Personal life Arutyunyan was born on July 5, 1957, in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, and ...
, who coached both Bell and Lim, denied the allegations: "The thing is that Mariah’s program includes an element where she lays her leg back and stretches it. This is how it happened that she touched Lim’s leg with her blade. Of course, it was not deliberately! There has never been any confrontation between them at training sessions." Bell later said: "The whole experience was really bizarre, and it just felt like I was drowning in this nightmare of completely false information that was put out there that I couldn't do anything about." Bell concluded her season as part of the gold medal-winning Team USA at the 2019 World Team Trophy.


2019–20 season

Having already had
Adam Rippon Adam Richard Rippon (born November 11, 1989) is a retired American competitive Figure skating, figure skater and media personality. He is the Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics – Team event, 2018 Olympic bronze medalist in the team eve ...
collaborate as a choreographer the previous season, Bell added Rippon as part of her coaching team in addition to having him again choreograph her short program, this time to
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
music on Rippon's recommendation. Starting her season on the Challenger series at the
2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy The 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy was held in September 2019 in Oberstdorf, Germany. It was part of the 2019–20 ISU Challenger Series. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dance. Entries ...
, Bell placed first in both segments to win the event, her first international gold medal. For her first
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural ''Grands Prix'') most commonly refers to: * Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition ** List of Formula One Grands Prix, an auto-racing championship *** Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious ...
assignment, Bell competed at the
2019 Internationaux de France The 2019 Internationaux de France was the third event of the 2019–20 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Patinoire Polesud in Grenoble, France from November 1–3. Medal ...
, placing third in the short program with only an unclear edge warning on her triple flip. In the free skate, Bell underrotated a triple Lutz but otherwise landed all jumps cleanly and placed second in the segment, edging out reigning
World The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that Existence, exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk ...
and
Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
champion
Alina Zagitova Alina Ilnazovna Zagitova ( rus, Алина Ильназовна Загитова, , ɐˈlʲinə zɐˈɡʲitəvə; born 18 May 2002) is a Russian former competitive Figure skating, figure skater. She is the Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Oly ...
. She was third overall, behind
Alena Kostornaia Alena Sergeevna Kostornaia (; her first name is properly pronounced Alyona as the Yo (Cyrillic), Cyrillic ё is pronounced yo; born 24 August 2003) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 2020 European Figure Skating Championships, 2020 European ...
and Zagitova, taking her second Grand Prix medal. Bell said she was "proud of how this competition went." Competing next at the
2019 Rostelecom Cup The 2019 Rostelecom Cup was the fifth event of the 2019–20 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Megasport Sport Palace in Moscow, Russia from November 15–17. Medals wer ...
, Bell placed third in the short program despite falling on her jump combination. She was also third in the free skate, winning another bronze medal. Bell placed third in the short program at the 2020 U.S. Championships when, after landing her jumps successfully, she fell in her step sequence. She remarked after, "today, maybe I felt a little too good." Placing second in the free skate with no errors other than an underrotated triple Lutz, Bell won the silver medal and was the highest-finishing medalist eligible for senior international competition, the gold medal going again to
Alysa Liu Alysa Liu (born August 8, 2005) is an American figure skater. She is the 2025 World champion, 2022 World bronze medalist, 2021 Nebelhorn Trophy champion, 2021 Lombardia Trophy champion, and a two-time U.S. national champion (2019, 2020). At ...
. Her free skate received a standing ovation, which she called "a very special feeling. I hadn’t had that before in my career." Bell subsequently eschewed attending the
Four Continents Championships The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships are an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU). Medals are awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. The ISU est ...
in
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, looking ahead to the 2020 World Championships in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, but these events were canceled as a result of the
coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.


2020–21 season

After spending months off the ice in the midst of the pandemic, Bell resumed training in June 2020, stating that she hoped to use the time to work on developing a
triple Axel The Axel jump or Axel Paulsen jump, named after its inventor, Norwegian figure skater Axel Paulsen, is an edge jump performed in figure skating. It is the sport's oldest and most difficult jump, and the only basic jump in competition with a forw ...
, which she described as having "always been something that I believe that I can do." She competed at the first opportunity of the ISP Points Challenge, a virtual U.S. domestic competition, winning both segments of the competition, despite only doing one jump combination in the free skate. It was announced that she would be a virtual guest skater at the Japan Open. Bell was assigned to compete at the
2020 Skate America The 2020 Guaranteed Rate Skate America was the first event in the 2020–21 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 23–24. Meda ...
event on the
Grand Prix circuit Grand Prix Circuit may refer to: * ''Grand Prix Circuit'' (video game), a 1988 motor sports video game *Grand Prix tennis circuit The ITF Grand Prix Circuit was a professional tennis tour for male players founded in 1970 as the ILTF Grand Prix ...
, the ISU having made assignments based on training location due to the pandemic. Bell won the short program with a clean skate, more than three points ahead of
Bradie Tennell Bradie Tennell (born January 31, 1998) is an American Figure skating, figure skater. She is a Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics, 2018 Olympic team event bronze medalist, the 2025 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, 2025 Four Co ...
in second place. This would prove decisive, as she placed fourth in the free skate after falling on an underrotated triple Lutz and only attempting six triple jumps, but her short program score was sufficient to retain the overall lead and win her first Grand Prix gold medal. Bell's success at Skate America and the prior season's national championships lead many to identify her as the favorite going into the 2021 U.S. Championships, particularly with defending champion Liu struggling with growth-related jumping limitations. She unexpectedly placed third in the short program after underrotating her triple Lutz and called it a disappointment. Bell struggled in the free skate, falling on a triple flip and making several other jump errors; as a result, she placed fifth in that segment and dropped to fifth place overall.


2021–22 season

Heading into the Olympic season, Bell prepared new programs for the occasion. For the short program, she recruited ''
RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
'' contestant Cordero Zuckerman to work with
Adam Rippon Adam Richard Rippon (born November 11, 1989) is a retired American competitive Figure skating, figure skater and media personality. He is the Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics – Team event, 2018 Olympic bronze medalist in the team eve ...
on a stylistic homage to
vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...
set to the music of
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
. Her free skate to
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
's "
Both Sides Now "Both Sides, Now" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. One of the first recordings is by Judy Collins, whose version appeared on the US singles chart during the fall of 1968. (The earliest commercial release was by Dave Van Ro ...
", music Bell had considered using before, was meant to reflect the highs and lows of her career: "Skating to 'Hallelujah' at nationals was an incredible feeling — but I can still know what it was like the following year, to get off the ice and see myself in fifth." However, following her bronze medal showing at the
Skating Club of Boston The Skating Club of Boston is a not-for-profit figure skating club based in Norwood, Massachusetts. Founded in 1912, it is one of the oldest skating clubs in the United States, and a founding member of U.S. Figure Skating, the governing body for ...
's Cranberry Cup international event and feedback from American officials, she subsequently dropped both programs, reviving her "Hallelujah" program and creating a new short program. Bell's two
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural ''Grands Prix'') most commonly refers to: * Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition ** List of Formula One Grands Prix, an auto-racing championship *** Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious ...
assignments were the final two events of the series, starting with the 2021 Internationaux de France, where she placed sixth. She was tenth in the short program and fourth in the free skate. At her second event the following week, the
2021 Rostelecom Cup The 2021 Rostelecom Cup was the sixth event in the 2021–22 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi on 26–28 November. Medals were awa ...
, Bell was third in the short program despite not landing a triple-triple combination, dropping to fourth after the free skate. She said, "technical content is a little bit lower right now, but I plan to put the triple-triple back in later during the season." Bell entered the 2022 U.S. Championships as a contender for both the title and the American Olympic team. Frequent rival
Bradie Tennell Bradie Tennell (born January 31, 1998) is an American Figure skating, figure skater. She is a Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics, 2018 Olympic team event bronze medalist, the 2025 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, 2025 Four Co ...
withdrew in advance due to injury. Bell won the short program, narrowly ahead of
Karen Chen Karen Chen (born August 16, 1999) is an American figure skater. She is a Figure skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics – Team event, 2022 Olympic Games team event gold medalist, two-time U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, CS U.S. Classic ...
, while
Alysa Liu Alysa Liu (born August 8, 2005) is an American figure skater. She is the 2025 World champion, 2022 World bronze medalist, 2021 Nebelhorn Trophy champion, 2021 Lombardia Trophy champion, and a two-time U.S. national champion (2019, 2020). At ...
was further back in third and withdrew before the free skate due to testing positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
. Bell won the free skate as well, taking her first national title. The following day, she was named to the Olympic team, along with Chen and Liu. At 25, Bell became the oldest U.S. women's champion since
Beatrix Loughran Beatrix Suzetta Loughran (June 30, 1900 – December 7, 1975) was an American figure skater who competed in single and pair skating. She is the only American to win three Olympic medals in figure skating (1924, 1928, 1932), and one of the oldest ...
in 1927, and also the oldest American women's singles skater sent to the Olympics since Loughran in
1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...
. Competing at the
2022 Winter Olympics The 2022 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), were an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing, China, and surrounding areas wit ...
in the women's event, Bell fell on her opening triple-triple combination attempt but nevertheless qualified for the free skate in eleventh position. She moved up one place in the free skate to finish tenth overall. Days after the Olympics concluded,
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
ordered an invasion of Ukraine, as a result of which the
International Skating Union The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international sport governing body, governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded ...
banned all Russian and Belarusian skaters from competing at the 2022 World Championships. This had a major impact on the women's field, dominated by Russians for most of the preceding eight years, and Bell entered the event as a podium contender. She finished third in the short program with a new personal best score of 72.55, taking a bronze small medal, the first for an American at the World Championships since
Ashley Wagner Ashley Elisabeth Wagner (born May 16, 1991) is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships, 2016 World silver medalist, a Figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics, 2014 Olympic bronze medali ...
in
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
. In the free skate, Bell struggled on both of her triple Lutzes in the second half of the program, underrotating one of them. She dropped from third to fourth overall, behind Liu.


Retirement

On October 12, 2022, Bell announced on
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that she was retiring from competitive figure skating and said she would continue performing at ice shows. She participated in the Japan Open later that fall, finishing sixth among the six female competitors and winning silver with Team North America.


Programs


Competitive highlights

''GP:
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural ''Grands Prix'') most commonly refers to: * Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition ** List of Formula One Grands Prix, an auto-racing championship *** Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious ...
; CS: Challenger Series; JGP:
Junior Grand Prix The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–98 season) is a series of international junior-level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men ...
''


2011–12 to Present


Detailed results


Senior level

''Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only. ISU personal best scores highlighted in bold.''


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Mariah 1996 births Living people American female single skaters People from Monument, Colorado People from Westminster, Colorado Sportspeople from Tulsa, Oklahoma 21st-century American sportswomen Figure skaters at the 2022 Winter Olympics Olympic figure skaters for the United States