The U. Figure Skating Championships are held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. Skaters compete in men's singles, women's singles , pair skating , and ice dance at the senior and junior levels. The event is organized by U. Figure Skating , the sport's national governing body. Pewter medals have been awarded to the fourth-place finishers in each event since Qualification for the U.
Championships begins at one of nine regional competitions. The top four finishers in each regional advance to one of three sectional competitions Eastern , Midwestern , and Pacific Coast. Skaters who place in the top four at sectionals advance to the U. Skaters can also receive byes to the competition. Skaters can earn the right at the U.
Championships without qualifying through a sectional championship by: [ 2 ]. Skaters may also receive byes through a qualifying competition if they compete in an international event during the time that qualifying event is to take place. For example, if a skater is competing at an event at the same time as his or her regional competition, that skater would receive a bye to the corresponding sectional competition.
If a skater is competing at an event at the same time as his or her sectional competition, that skater would qualify for the national event without having had to compete at a sectional championship. Skaters may not compete in the same discipline at different levels in the same National Championship, but may compete in different disciplines at different levels. For example, a skater could not compete in both the junior women's and senior women's events, but could compete in both the junior women's and the senior pairs events.
Skaters are also not permitted to regress a level; if a skater has competed in senior women's, she may not compete in junior women's in any subsequent year. There are no age limits to competing. The terms "novice", "junior", and "senior" refer to the level of skating, not the age of the competitors. Therefore, competitors on the senior level do not have to be old enough to compete internationally on the senior level, and competitors on the junior level do not have to be young enough to compete internationally on the junior level.
