By Scott Mammoser, Team FSO contributing writer
Photos by Scott Mammoser, Robin Ritoss, Getty Images and Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier
Two years ago, Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier made history in winning the first world championship for a U.S. pairs team in 43 years. At that time, there was something missing though. The team event gold medal from the Beijing Olympics, one month earlier, was still being disputed. Russian Kamila Valieva tested positive for the banned substance trimetazadine, and medals were never awarded following the Russian Olympic Committee’s perceived win. Delays between several governing bodies kept the second-place Americans and third-place Japanese from climbing to gold and silver.
Finally, during a reallocation ceremony during the Paris Summer Olympics Aug. 7, 2024, Knierim and Frazier – along with seven other members of the team – were awarded their gold medals.
“It’s amazing,” Knierim said at the Team USA House in Paris following the ceremony. “It’s hard to describe that this moment finally came to light. We’ve all been dreaming and hoping for it, and it wasn’t until a few days ago that we were told we were actually coming, so we are just thrilled and honored to be here.”
Along with Knierim and Frazier, singles skaters Nathan Chen, Vincent Zhou and Karen Chen took part in the ceremony. Ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates, in addition to Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, celebrated, as well.
“The most important thing is we got to celebrate this moment together as a team,” Frazier added. “Once they (the medals) get put on you, they are kind of on you for life. I don’t know what I’ll do with it, maybe frame it or keep it safe somewhere. It was an amazing moment, and I am just happy we all came together and shared this Olympic moment we never had in Beijing. At the end of the day, that was the most important thing. It was a very beautiful ceremony with the Eiffel Tower, being in Paris, but at the end of the day, it was about sharing with teammates.”
The waiting period dragged on for two and a half years due to complications between the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency.
“There were a lot of spots along the way that became a little annoying,” Frazier said. “But we are all human, and it’s all out of our control and we were left with a lot of uncertainty. There were definitely some moments to this process where we got a little frustrated with what was going on. But at the end of the day, we just needed to be patient that the right thing was going to take care of itself.
“Doping has been going on for a long time. Certain countries are yet to learn their lesson, and I hope this whole thing keeps shining a brighter light onto the matter. You spend your whole life working for something, and to know other people are trying to take shortcuts is very distasteful.”
Knierim was accompanied in Paris by her husband and former partner Chris*, her parents and two friends from high school. Skating together, she and Chris won the team bronze medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. The Paris event was extra special since no spectators were allowed to travel to China during the pandemic-restricted Olympics.
“One positive thing about having to wait two and a half years,” she continued “was being able to have my mom and dad here live with us, so that was really cool. I would have had my entire community, if it were not in another country.”
Knierim and Frazier’s world championship was in Montpellier, France, and they also won the bronze medal at the 2021 Grand Prix de France in Grenoble. Knierim also mentioned she skated in the Grand Prix at Bordeaux with her husband, but she had never competed in Paris. Frazier was a Grand Prix de France bronze medalist with his former partner, Haven Denney, as well.
Frazier had his brother, mother, two aunts and an uncle in support at Champions Park in Paris. Knierim and Frazier’s coach, Jenni Meno, was also in attendance. In addition to his new career in corporate finance with Arlo Technologies in California, Frazier works with Meno part time, training young skaters. Knierim is coaching her own students in Illinois with her husband.
“I want my kids to be the best they can be the right way,” Knierim said, “and really experience what we experienced ourselves as clean athletes, and see what our bodies can do the natural way with hard work and dedication. That is what I am teaching them and hoping they strive for, so it’s important to keep promoting Clean Sport. It makes you feel really good at the end of the day, that you did it without any substances.”
The U.S. has never won the pairs competition at the Olympics. Thus, the team event marks the first gold medal for American pairs skaters.
“It’s more about the memories at this point than the medal,” Knierim said. “I would like the world of sports to keep striving for Clean Sport and honesty. I don’t think it’s going to go away in the near future, but this can potentially scare more athletes into not wanting to cheat. I think it’s going to be a long time until it’s completely removed. That’s part of life. There is always a bit of dishonesty, but it definitely opens the door to change.”
The gold medal was the final icing on the cake for two careers that came together at just the right time.
“When it comes to competitive sport,” Frazier continued, “Alexa and I have done everything we can hope and dream to do together. At the end of the day, we knew the time to step back, and we are both pursuing our individual pathways, and that is all we can ask for, and that is all our focus is on.”
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*Editor’s Note: Chris Knierim did travel to Paris for the medal ceremony, but had to fly home before it happened to be with their dog, Diesel, who passed away suddenly while Alexa was in Paris.
