1994 United States Figure Skating Championships
Encyclopedia
The 1994 United States Figure Skating Championships was the United States Figure Skating Championships
United States Figure Skating Championships
The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters...

 of the 2009-2010 figure skating season
Figure skating season
The figure skating season is the period of time in which competitions are contested in the sport of figure skating. The skating season begins on July 1 of one year and goes until the end of June of the next. The seasons are referred to by the years they span...

. They were the national championship to determine the national champions of the United States. They were held in Detroit Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

. In addition to determining the national champions, the event was used to determine the U.S. teams for the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships
1994 World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. This event is considered the most prestigious of the ISU Championships...

 and the 1994 Winter Olympics
Figure skating at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Referee:* Britta LindgrenAssistant Referee:* Gerhardt BubníkJudges: Wendy Utley Jan Olesinski Jarmila Portová Alfred Korytek Yang Jiasheng Margaret Ann Wier Noriko Shirota Audrey Williams Jan Hoffmann Monique Petis -Pairs:...

.

Skaters competed in four disciplines across three levels. The disciplines of the competition were men's singles
Single skating
Single skating is a discipline of figure skating, wherein a single person skates alone. Men's singles and ladies' singles are both Olympic disciplines and are both governed by the International Skating Union. The other Olympic figure skating events are pair skating and ice dancing...

, ladies singles
Single skating
Single skating is a discipline of figure skating, wherein a single person skates alone. Men's singles and ladies' singles are both Olympic disciplines and are both governed by the International Skating Union. The other Olympic figure skating events are pair skating and ice dancing...

, pair skating
Pair skating
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline. International Skating Union regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from ice dancing and single skating by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals,...

, and ice dancing
Ice dancing
Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....

, and the levels of competition were Senior, Junior, and Novice. Medals were awarded in four colors: gold (first), silver (second), bronze (third), and pewter (fourth).

The competition was notable for the return of previous Olympians Brian Boitano
Brian Boitano
Brian Anthony Boitano is an American figure skater from Sunnyvale, California. He is the 1988 Olympic champion, the 1986 and 1988 World Champion, and the 1985-1988 U.S. National Champion. He turned professional following the 1988 season...

 and Elaine Zayak
Elaine Zayak
Elaine Kathryn Zayak is an American figure skater. She is the 1981 U.S. national champion and the 1982 World Champion. She is a 1984 Winter Olympian.-Personal life:...

, as well as the pre-competition attack on Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Ann Kerrigan is a two-time American Olympic figure skating medalist and 1993 U.S. champion.-Early life and skating career:...

 by associates of rival skater Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding
Tonya Maxine Harding is an American figure skating champion. In 1991 she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition...

.

Senior medalists

Senior Medalists
Event Gold Silver Bronze Pewter
Men Scott Davis  Brian Boitano
Brian Boitano
Brian Anthony Boitano is an American figure skater from Sunnyvale, California. He is the 1988 Olympic champion, the 1986 and 1988 World Champion, and the 1985-1988 U.S. National Champion. He turned professional following the 1988 season...

 
Aren Nielsen
Aren Nielsen
Aren Nielsen is an American former competitive figure skater. He is currently the Skating Director at the Atlanta IceForum, in Duluth, GA.-Competitive highlights:-Other competitive highlights:-External links:...

 
Todd Eldredge
Todd Eldredge
Todd James Eldredge is an American figure skater. He is the 1996 World Champion and a six-time national champion .-Biography:...

Ladies No champion Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...

 
Nicole Bobek
Nicole Bobek
Nicole Bobek is an American figure skater. She is the 1995 U.S. Champion and World bronze medalist.-Biography:An only child, Bobek was raised by her Czech mother, Jana, and her friend Joyce Barron...

 
Elaine Zayak
Elaine Zayak
Elaine Kathryn Zayak is an American figure skater. She is the 1981 U.S. national champion and the 1982 World Champion. She is a 1984 Winter Olympian.-Personal life:...

Pairs Jenni Meno
Jenni Meno
Jenni Meno is an American pair skater. She first partnered with Scott Wendland and won two medals at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She began skating with her future husband Todd Sand in April 1992...

 / Todd Sand
Todd Sand
Todd Sand is an American pairs skater. He currently skates professionally with wife Jenni Meno.-Life and career:Sand was born in Burbank, California. He has dual American and Danish citizenship and early in his career, he represented Denmark as a single skater...

 
Kyoko Ina
Kyoko Ina
is a Japanese-American figure skater. With partner John Zimmerman, she is a three-time U.S. national champion and 2002 Olympian. With partner Jason Dungjen, she was a two-time U.S. Champion and a 1994 & 1998 Olympian.- Life and career :...

 / Jason Dungjen
Jason Dungjen
Jason Dungjen is an American retired pair skater who was a two-time U.S. national champion. He is currently a skating coach....

 
Karen Courtland
Karen Courtland
Karen Courtland Kelly was an American figure skater who competed in pairs with partner Todd Reynolds. The couple won the bronze medal at the United States Figure Skating Championships in 1993 and 1994 and finished 14th at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.-Results:-References:*...

 / Todd Reynolds
Todd Reynolds (figure skater)
Richard Todd Reynolds was an American pair skater who competed with partner Karen Courtland. The couple won the bronze medal at the United States Figure Skating Championships in 1993 and 1994 and finished 14th at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.-Results:-References:*...

 
Natasha Kuchiki
Natasha Kuchiki
Natasha Kuchiki is an American pairs figure skater. Her parents, Denise and Sashi, were competitive figure skaters who met in the Ice Capades. Her sister Tamara was also a competitive figure skater....

 / Rocky Marval
Rocky Marval
Rocky Marval is an American pair skater. With partner Calla Urbanski, he is the 1992–1993 U.S. National Champion. They finished 10th at the 1992 Winter Olympics....

Ice Dance Elizabeth Punsalan
Elizabeth Punsalan
Elizabeth Punsalan or Swallow is an American ice dancer. With her partner and husband Jerod Swallow, she is a five-time U.S. national champion, two-time Skate America champion, and competed twice in the Winter Olympics.- Career :Early in her career, Punsalan competed with Christopher Rettstatt,...

 / Jerod Swallow
Jerod Swallow
Jerod Swallow is an American ice dancer. With his partner and wife Elizabeth Punsalan, he is a five-time U.S. national champion, two-time Skate America champion, and competed twice in the Winter Olympics....

 
Susan Wynne
Susan Wynne
Susan "Susie" Wynne is a former American ice dancer and current figure skating analyst and commentator. She competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics with Joseph Druar. The duo won the gold medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships twice. She later competed with Russ Witherby...

 / Russ Witherby
Russ Witherby
Russ Witherby is an American coach and former competitive figure skater. He competed in ice dance with several partners. He and April Sargent Thomas competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics...

 
Amy Webster / Ron Kravette  Wendy Millette / Jason Tebo


In June 1994, U.S. Figure Skating voted to no longer recognize Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding
Tonya Maxine Harding is an American figure skating champion. In 1991 she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition...

's 1994 win. The gold medal position was left vacant; the other competitors did not move up one position.

Junior medalists

Junior Medalists
Event Gold Silver Bronze Pewter
Men Jere Michael
Jere Michael
Jere Michael is an American retired competitive figure skater. He is the 1994 World Junior bronze medalist and the 1994 Junior National Champion...

 
Jason Sylvia  Johnnie Bevan  Matthew Kessinger
Ladies Jennifer Karl  Amanda Ward  Lisa Bell  Chrisha Gossard
Pairs Nicole Bateson Rock / Keith Tindall  Cheryl Marker / Todd Price  Sara Ward / J. Paul Binnebose
J. Paul Binnebose
J. Paul Binnebose is an American retired pair skater. With partner Laura Lynn Handy, he won the bronze medal at the 1999 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. However, later that year, he fell while lifting Handy and hit his head on the ice, suffering a skull fracture and brain injury...

 
Danielle Hartsell
Danielle Hartsell
Danielle Hartsell is an American pair skater. With brother Steve Hartsell, she is the 1999 U.S. National Champion and 1997 World Junior Champion. She married Chris Minnis on September 20, 2003-Results:...

 / Steve Hartsell
Steve Hartsell
Steve Hartsell is an American pair skater. With sister Danielle Hartsell, he is the 1999 U.S. National Champion and the 1997 World Junior Champion. After his sister retired, he skated with Marcy Hinzmann and Kristen Roth.-Results:Men's Singles-:-:-External links:...

Ice Dance Laura Gayton / Oleg Fediukov
Oleg Fediukov
Oleg Fediukov is an American ice dancer who competed with Debbie Koegel. Together, they are the 1999 and 2000 U.S. bronze medalists. Fediukov became a U.S. citizen in 2000.-Competitive highlights:...

 
Carissa Green / Gregory Maddalone  Eve Chalom
Eve Chalom
Eve Chalom was an American figure skater. She twice won the silver medals in ice dance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships with Mathew Gates. Chalom is almost entirely deaf, having lost most of her hearing in both ears after a childhood accident. She received bachelor degrees from the...

 / Mathew Gates
Mathew Gates
Mathew Gates is a former American ice dancer. He twice won silver at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships with Eve Chalom. After that partnership ended, he teamed up with Emilie Nussear in 2002, and the duo competed at Nationals in 2003. Mathew currently works as a coach and choreographer...

 
Nicole Dumonceaux / John Repucci

Novice medalists

Novice Medalists
Event Gold Silver Bronze Pewter
Men Timothy Goebel
Timothy Goebel
Timothy Richard Goebel is an American retired figure skater. He is the 2002 Olympic bronze medalist. He was the first person to land a quadruple salchow in competition and the first person to land three quadruple jumps in one program...

 
Pete St. Germaine  Peter Kongkasem  Bert Cording
Ladies Cohen Duncan  Tara Lipinski
Tara Lipinski
Tara Kristen Lipinski is an American figure skater. At the age of 15, she won the Ladies' Singles Olympic gold medal in figure skating at the 1998 Winter Olympics. Lipinski remains the youngest individual gold medalist in the history of the Olympic Winter Games. She is also the 1997 World...

 
Jennifer Joh  Melanie Price
Pairs Brie Teaboldt / John Zimmerman  Gretel Reich / Stephen Bidon  Sarah Booth / Matthew Buttrey  Natalie Vlandis / Jered Guzman
Jered Guzman
Jered Guzman is an American retired competitive pair skater. From 1992 to 1998, he teamed with Natalie Vlandis, capturing the gold medal at the 1996 U.S. Junior Championships and finishing fifth at the 1998 U.S. Figure Skating Championships...

Ice Dance Jessica Joseph
Jessica Joseph
Jessica Joseph was an American figure skater.She won the silver medal in ice dance at the 1998 U.S. Figure Skating Championships with Charles Butler and competed in that year's Winter Olympics. After that partnership ended, she skated with Brandon Forsyth and won a bronze medal at the 2001 Nationals...

 / Charles Butler Jr. 
Natalie Wolenter / David Gratta  Shannon Simon / Jason Simon  Pamela Meininger / Keith Schonrock III

Senior men

Rank Name
1 Scott Davis
2 Brian Boitano
Brian Boitano
Brian Anthony Boitano is an American figure skater from Sunnyvale, California. He is the 1988 Olympic champion, the 1986 and 1988 World Champion, and the 1985-1988 U.S. National Champion. He turned professional following the 1988 season...

3 Aren Nielsen
Aren Nielsen
Aren Nielsen is an American former competitive figure skater. He is currently the Skating Director at the Atlanta IceForum, in Duluth, GA.-Competitive highlights:-Other competitive highlights:-External links:...

4 Todd Eldredge
Todd Eldredge
Todd James Eldredge is an American figure skater. He is the 1996 World Champion and a six-time national champion .-Biography:...

5 Mark Mitchell
6 Shepherd Clark
Shepherd Clark
Shepherd Walton Clark is an American former competitive figure skater. He won the silver medal at the 1989 World Junior Figure Skating Championships. The next season, he won the Nebelhorn Trophy. He won the pewter medal at the 1998 United States Figure Skating Championships. Mr...

7 Rudy Galindo
Rudy Galindo
Val Joe "Rudy" Galindo is an American figure skater who competed in both single skating and pair skating. As a single skater, he is the 1996 U.S. national champion and 1987 World Junior Champion. As a pairs skater, he competed with Kristi Yamaguchi and was the 1988 World Junior Champion and the...

8 Michael Weiss
Michael Weiss (figure skater)
-External links:* - Official website* - US Olympic Committee Biography...

9 Damon Allen
Damon Allen (figure skater)
Damon Allen is an American former competitive figure skater who currently works as a coach and choreographer. As a competitive skater, he won the bronze medal at the 1992 World Junior Figure Skating Championships. He currently coaches at the World Arena Ice Hall.-Results:-External links:*...

10 Dan Hollander
11 Colin VanderVeen
12 Gig Siruno
13 John Baldwin Jr.
14 Paul Dulebohn
15 Mel Chapman
16 Glenn Armstrong

Senior ladies

Rank Name
1 Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding
Tonya Maxine Harding is an American figure skating champion. In 1991 she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition...

2 Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...

3 Nicole Bobek
Nicole Bobek
Nicole Bobek is an American figure skater. She is the 1995 U.S. Champion and World bronze medalist.-Biography:An only child, Bobek was raised by her Czech mother, Jana, and her friend Joyce Barron...

4 Elaine Zayak
Elaine Zayak
Elaine Kathryn Zayak is an American figure skater. She is the 1981 U.S. national champion and the 1982 World Champion. She is a 1984 Winter Olympian.-Personal life:...

5 Tonia Kwiatkowski
Tonia Kwiatkowski
Tonia Kwiatkowski is an American figure skater and coach. She is the 1996 United States silver medalist and a three-time World team member, twice finishing in the top ten at the World Championships. She competed in 13 U.S. National Championships. Carol Heiss Jenkins and Glyn Watts were her longtime...

6 Michelle Cho
7 Lisa Ervin
Lisa Ervin
Lisa Ervin-Baudo is an American retired figure skater. Ervin won three consecutive silver medals at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships from 1991 to 1993 and is the 1993 US National silver medalist. She was coached by Carol Heiss Jenkins and originally trained by Melissa Smith at the...

8 Jessica Mills
Jessica Mills
Jessica Mills is a former American figure skater. She won the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 1989. She is the sister of Olympic gymnast Phoebe Mills. -Results:-References:...

9 Teresa Aiello
10 Amanda Farkas
11 Lisa Matras
12 Keri Anne Thomas
13 Denise Long
14 Lisa Talbot
15 Jennifer Verili
16 Patricia Mansfield

Senior pairs

Rank Name
1 Jenni Meno
Jenni Meno
Jenni Meno is an American pair skater. She first partnered with Scott Wendland and won two medals at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She began skating with her future husband Todd Sand in April 1992...

 / Todd Sand
Todd Sand
Todd Sand is an American pairs skater. He currently skates professionally with wife Jenni Meno.-Life and career:Sand was born in Burbank, California. He has dual American and Danish citizenship and early in his career, he represented Denmark as a single skater...

2 Kyoko Ina
Kyoko Ina
is a Japanese-American figure skater. With partner John Zimmerman, she is a three-time U.S. national champion and 2002 Olympian. With partner Jason Dungjen, she was a two-time U.S. Champion and a 1994 & 1998 Olympian.- Life and career :...

 / Jason Dungjen
Jason Dungjen
Jason Dungjen is an American retired pair skater who was a two-time U.S. national champion. He is currently a skating coach....

3 Karen Courtland
Karen Courtland
Karen Courtland Kelly was an American figure skater who competed in pairs with partner Todd Reynolds. The couple won the bronze medal at the United States Figure Skating Championships in 1993 and 1994 and finished 14th at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.-Results:-References:*...

 / Todd Reynolds
Todd Reynolds (figure skater)
Richard Todd Reynolds was an American pair skater who competed with partner Karen Courtland. The couple won the bronze medal at the United States Figure Skating Championships in 1993 and 1994 and finished 14th at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.-Results:-References:*...

4 Natsha Kuchiki / Rocky Marval
Rocky Marval
Rocky Marval is an American pair skater. With partner Calla Urbanski, he is the 1992–1993 U.S. National Champion. They finished 10th at the 1992 Winter Olympics....

...

Senior ice dancing

Rank Name
1 Elizabeth Punsalan
Elizabeth Punsalan
Elizabeth Punsalan or Swallow is an American ice dancer. With her partner and husband Jerod Swallow, she is a five-time U.S. national champion, two-time Skate America champion, and competed twice in the Winter Olympics.- Career :Early in her career, Punsalan competed with Christopher Rettstatt,...

 / Jerod Swallow
Jerod Swallow
Jerod Swallow is an American ice dancer. With his partner and wife Elizabeth Punsalan, he is a five-time U.S. national champion, two-time Skate America champion, and competed twice in the Winter Olympics....

2 Susan Wynne
Susan Wynne
Susan "Susie" Wynne is a former American ice dancer and current figure skating analyst and commentator. She competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics with Joseph Druar. The duo won the gold medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships twice. She later competed with Russ Witherby...

 / Russ Witherby
Russ Witherby
Russ Witherby is an American coach and former competitive figure skater. He competed in ice dance with several partners. He and April Sargent Thomas competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics...

3 Amy Webster / Ron Kravette
4 Wendy Millette / Jason Tebo
...

Reinstatement of professionals to amateur status

Amateurs who turned professional had been banned from returning to compete as amateurs. This ban was removed and Brian Boitano
Brian Boitano
Brian Anthony Boitano is an American figure skater from Sunnyvale, California. He is the 1988 Olympic champion, the 1986 and 1988 World Champion, and the 1985-1988 U.S. National Champion. He turned professional following the 1988 season...

 and Elaine Zayak
Elaine Zayak
Elaine Kathryn Zayak is an American figure skater. She is the 1981 U.S. national champion and the 1982 World Champion. She is a 1984 Winter Olympian.-Personal life:...

 sought to compete in order to go to the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Having retired from competitive skating after winning Olympic gold in 1988
Figure skating at the 1988 Winter Olympics
Figure skating at the 1988 Winter OlympicsThe events took place at the Stampede Corral and the Olympic Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.-Medal table:-Men's:-Free Skate final standings :Referee:* Sonia Bianchetti...

 and the 1988 World Championships
1988 World Figure Skating Championships
**http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067164/index.htm*http://www.sportcentric.com/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4844-148236-165452-56215-0-file,00.pdf...

, four time men's champion Brian Boitano announced a comeback and would compete to get a place on the 1994 Olympic team. This was highly controversial as he had skated professionally for many years and fought to get former professionals reinstated for amateur competitions. He placed second behind Scott Davis but made the Olympic team.

Kerrigan/Harding controversy

The January 6, 1994 attack on 1993 champion and Ladies gold frontrunner Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Ann Kerrigan is a two-time American Olympic figure skating medalist and 1993 U.S. champion.-Early life and skating career:...

 preceded the event. The widely publicized attack took place during a practice session for the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding
Tonya Maxine Harding is an American figure skating champion. In 1991 she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition...

's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckardt, hired Shane Stant to strike Kerrigan on the knee, though Stant actually struck Kerrigan's thigh a few inches above the knee. Harding won the event, while Kerrigan's injury forced her withdrawal.

After Harding admitted to helping to cover up the attack, the USFSA and United States Olympic Committee
United States Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...

 initiated proceedings to remove her from the 1994 Olympic team, but Harding retained her place after threatening legal action. She finished eighth, while Kerrigan, who recovered from her injuries, finished second.

Collision

During a warm-up, ice dancer Renée Roca
Renee Roca
Renée Roca is an American ice dancer and choreographer. She is a three-time U.S. national champion with different partners. Competing with partner Donald Adair, she is the 1986 U.S. national champion. She later teamed up with Russian skater Gorsha Sur, with whom she is the 1993 and 1995 U.S...

 was skating backward and collided with the team of Galit Chait and Maksim Sevostyanov, fracturing a bone in her left arm. Two hours later, she returned from the hospital with her arm in a cast and decided to try to compete. She and partner Gorsha Sur
Gorsha Sur
Georgi 'Gorsha' Sur is a former ice dancer who represented the United States and the Soviet Union. With Svetlana Liapina for the Soviet Union, he is a two-time World Junior medalist. With Renée Roca for the U.S., he is a two-time U.S...

placed second in the rhumba, however, Roca was unable to secure a firm grip with her left hand, and had to withdraw from the rest of the competition.
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