The 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships kick off on Jan. 22 in Columbus, Ohio. Starr Andrews, in her seventh year at the senior level, is excited to compete. Senior women skate their short program on Jan. 25. Last year, Andrews became the first African American woman to earn a spot on the medal podium since 1988.
“It’s been going really well,” said Andrews, 22, who competed in three international competitions in the fall, winning a bronze medal at the Golden Spin of Zagreb. “I’ve been getting everything comfortable and consistent. I honestly feel really good about these weeks of training coming up to Nationals.
“Everything is a learning experience. I learned from those competitions. It made me grow as a person and a skater, so I’m excited to go to Nationals, show how hard I’ve been working and just have fun.”
Andrews got a late start to prepare for the season. Last spring, she again had surgery to address issues related to tachycardia, which causes an elevated heart rate. In 2022, she had an ablation procedure, which brought improvement, but not total relief. The second surgery proved too risky, so she’s still navigating occasional spikes to her heart rate.
On a lighter note, she was supposed to skate during a Frank Ocean performance at Coachella in April 2023, but Ocean withdrew from the iconic music festival. She did get to attend Coachella, which was great fun.
This season, Andrews is skating her short program to Beyoncé music. For inspiration, she saw Beyoncé in concert in Las Vegas, where U.S. Figure Skating held its Champs Camp, a gathering of the nation’s top skaters. “It was such an amazing experience,” Andrews said.
“She is an amazing performer and person. Definitely one of my idols.”
This isn’t Andrews’ first time performing to Beyoncé music. “Her voice is angelic,” she said. “[Her music] kind of brings out an alter-ego, another personality. … You make skating your own, which is what I love.”
During Champs Camp, Andrews also got to connect with actress and singer Monique Coleman, most famous for her role in the “High School Musical” films. Coleman has recently taken up skating and fallen in love with the sport, saying she was starstruck to meet Andrews. She offered the skaters advice and shared insights about maximizing their performances.
The U.S. Championships senior women’s event concludes on Jan. 26.