Nathan Chen heavy favorite at U.S. Figure Skating Championships

This week's U.S. Figure Skating National Championships, which serve as the United States' qualifier for the Pyeongchang Olympics in February, begin Wednesday in San Jose, Calif.

Defending champion Nathan Chen, who comes off a Grand Prix Final victory and, with his five quadruple jumps in his free skate, has ratcheted up the technical level for all men, will be a heavy favorite to make the Olympic squad, and a strong contender for a medal in South Korea.

Jason Brown, a 2014 bronze medalist in the team competition at the Sochi Games, Adam Rippon and Vincent Zhou figure to be the main contenders for the other two U.S. spots.

There's no overwhelming favorite in the women's event, which could come down to the experience of three-time national champion Ashley Wagner, also a Sochi bronze winner in the team event, and 2010 Olympian Mirai Nagasu. Defending champion Karen Chen has had a difficult season.

The United States gets three Olympic spots in everything but pairs, where it has struggled and will have only one berth.

Retired boxing champion Vinny Paz, whose comeback story after a car crash was dramatized in the 2016 film "Bleed for This," has been accused of attacking a Rhode Island man and sending him to the hospital.

The 55-year-old former champ said he had been robbed and did what he had to do. Providence police said they were called to a home early Tuesday morning. When officers arrived, witnesses told them Paz had accused a friend of stealing $16,000 and assaulted him.

The ex-champion wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning to "stop" with the nonsense story. In a brief TV interview later Tuesday, he defended his actions.

"Bottom line is, I got robbed. And when that happens, you gotta do what you gotta do," he said.

Police said they want to speak with Paz, a five-time world champion who retired from boxing in 2004. Since then, he has had several brushes with the law, including a 2012 no-contest plea to disorderly conduct for a fight with two women at a Providence bar. He also pleaded no contest in 2007 to drunken driving.

"Bleed for This" tells the story of his return to boxing after breaking his neck in a car crash.

Tennis: The United States beat Japan 2-1 in the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, after an illness withdrawal by one of the Japanese players. But the win may come at a cost after Jack Sock injured his hip and his status is uncertain for the team's next match.