U.S. Olympian Karen Chen is replaced by Mariah Bell at next week’s world figure skating championships, according to the International Skating Union entry list.
U.S. pairs silver medalists Tarah Kayne and Danny O’Shea were also replaced by U.S. bronze medalists Deanna Stellato and Nathan Bartholomay. They join U.S champions and Olympians Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Christopher Knierim on the team.
Chen, 18, placed 11th in PyeongChang, right behind teammates Bradie Tennell and Mirai Nagasu, who Bell joins on the world team.
Chen was third at nationals in January, but her real breakout was last winter, when Chen won the U.S. title and placed fourth at the world championships.
Bell missed the Olympic team after placing fifth at the U.S. Championships in January, one year after taking silver at Skate America and bronze at nationals.
Bell was the second alternate for worlds after Sochi Olympian Ashley Wagner, who did not take the spot vacated by Chen.
The medal contenders at worlds in Milan are led by Russian Olympic champion Alina Zagitova, Olympic bronze medalist Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada, Japanese Satoko Miyahara and Italian Carolina Kostner.
Notable skaters missing senior worlds:
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) -- Injured
Javier Fernandez (ESP)
Patrick Chan (CAN) -- Reportedly retired
Adam Rippon (USA)
Yevgenia Medvedeva (RUS) -- Injured
Karen Chen (USA)
Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir (CAN) — Possibly retiring
Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani (USA)
Yekaterina Bobrova/Dmitry Soloviyev (RUS)
Sui Wenjing/Han Cong (CHN) -- Sui’s injured
Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford (CAN) — Retired
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