Lorenzo Elano

Lorenzo Elano is an up-and-coming American figure skater who has shown impressive progress since launching his competitive career in 2019. Born on November 13, 2007, in Chicago, Illinois, and has been training at the Skokie Valley Skating Club under the guidance of coaches Jeremy Allen and Denise Myers since the fall of 2022.

This season, Elano earned medals at every domestic competition he entered, including a gold medal in the junior category at the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships. He also took two medals at international events in Nice, France, and Tilburg, Netherlands.

The 17-year-old is quickly gaining attention for his artistry and spins, along with strong edge quality and seamless transitions into and out of jumps.

“I did take ballet for about five years of my life to help with like my movement quality,” he shared. “Then I eventually stopped to focus on skating. But during my training, my choreographer, Tommy Steenberg, is always reminding me to focus on my body awareness within my choreography. So definitely a lot of credit to him!”

Reflecting on U.S. Nationals

Elano first competed at nationals on junior level in 2023 where he placed 17th. The following year he was sixth and then took the title on January 22, 2025, in Wichita, Kan.

“This year at nationals, I just really wanted to place regardless of whatever spot it was on the podium,” he said. “I wanted to perform the best I could to make it onto the podium.”

The skater admitted to being a bit nervous going into the free skate as he stood in second after the short.

“I was really excited, but it was really nerve-wracking to be in medal contention,” he said. “But I just really tried to focus on my training and rely on that for the free skate. My coaches just told me to focus and trust my training for the free skate.”

His parents and grandmother were all present at the competition, but that didn’t make him nervous.

“The three of them are always usually there when I’m competing,” said Elano. “So, it was normal to have them with me. They’re very supportive and less reserved and like to cheer for me at competitions.”

Elano was in the locker room watching the event when he learned he had won.

“Then I heard my coaches calling my name, and I was like, “Oh my God, no way!’ It really hasn’t hit me yet. But like looking back at the moment is really sentimental.”

Program music for 2025-26

This season, Elano showcased depth in his routines, particularly his short program set to “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” from Les Misérables.

“Both my program music choices for this season were brought to me and my coaches by Tommy,” he said. “For my short program, at first, we thought that ‘Empty Chairs at Empty Tables’ would be too mature for me. But as the season continued, I really felt like I developed an emotional connection to the music.”

Steenberg felt that Elano was ready for the piece as the skater always gives “100%” when he’s on the ice. While he knew it was a risky selection, after a team discussion, it was agreed that it would help the skater to go deeper into his authenticity as a performer.

“There is something incredibly genuine in his delivery of movement and his connection to himself and the audience, both in practice and competition,” said the choreographer. “I had these observations in mind when finding his ‘Empty Chairs at Empty Tables’ short program music last year. If he hadn’t been up for the challenge, the selection could have fallen very flat.”

At U.S. Nationals, Elano spent a lot of time with Franco Aparicio, who was on Flight 5342. Aparicio admired his skating and liked his short program.

“Grief, loss, and a sense of mortality have been present for many of us recently within our community,” Steenberg pointed out. “I have talked a bit with Renzo about the significance of this and how it relates to his program as we decided to keep it for this upcoming season. It brings me comfort to hold onto a program that I know Franco enjoyed watching.”

Elano announced that his new free skate would be to a selection of three pieces of music from the composer Abel Korzeniowski.

“I was inspired to use this composer from my friend when she skated to one of his pieces,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh, I really like this! I wonder if there’s anything similar to it.’ But I didn’t want to copy her, so I just looked at the discography and found a song that I really liked. Then Tommy found it two other pieces to add.”

According to Steenberg, the main objective of the new free skate it to “demonstrate a full mastery and understanding of the blade through an exploration of innovative patterns, angles, and new transitions.”

“The music and movement feel a bit mysterious and ethereal, which helps with this objective,” said the choreographer.

Off the ice

Elano, an only child, is currently a junior at Acellus Academy and his favorite subjects are science, particularly biology, as well as psychology. He also enjoys dancing and listening to music. When he dances, he likes hip hop, modern and contemporary.

“But when I listen to music, probably just like pop music on the radio or like R&B music,” he said. “But before I compete, I like to listen to like hip hop and rap music.”

While born in Chicago, most of his family is in the Philippines aside from his parents and grandmother. As a result, Elano gets to enjoy a variety of traditional Filipino dishes as part of his daily meals.

“My favorite is probably adobo,” said Elano, of the popular Filipino dish. “Personally, I like chicken adobo best! I usually eat it with white rice, and sometimes banana. I also like tocino which is a sweet, cured pork dish, often served with fried rice and eggs.”

Elano spends whatever free time he has with friends and family; therefore, there’s not much time left for gaming or other hobbies.

“When I’m at home, I usually do schoolwork, or I’m watching YouTube,” said the teenager. “Usually, I’m watching vlogs or skating.”

Goals and inspiration

While spins, footwork and choreographic sequences are Elano’s favorite elements, he plans on including a triple Axel into both programs next season. He first attempted the jump in competition at the 2025 Challenge Cup in the free skate. He is also working on the quad Salchow and quad toe, both on and off the harness.

“But my main goal is to perfect my triple Axel and hopefully get it consistent by the end of the season,” he emphasized. “Also, since I’m doing senior domestic this year, it’s going to be kind of hard to qualify to nationals. So that’s definitely going to be another goal I have—to qualify for nationals.”

One skater that Elano looks up to is none other than Jason Brown.

“He inspires me to focus on my presentation and artistry,” Elano explained. “You can tell that he does this for himself, and no one else, and I appreciate that! Also, my teammate, Alexa Gasparotto. She landed the triple Axel in competition recently. When I train with her daily, it just inspires me to train hard and push myself.”

As Elano continues to develop his technical arsenal and deepen his artistic expression, he’s quickly becoming one to watch on the national and international stage.

“I feel excited to debut this upcoming season,” said Elano, adding that he doesn’t feel any pressure going into the new season as a junior champion.

With clear goals, a strong support system, and a deepening connection to his craft, the young skater is poised to carve an exciting path in the seasons ahead.

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