The 2008
U.S. Figure Skating Championships
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships are an annual figure skating competition organized by U.S. Figure Skating to crown the national champions of the United States. The first U.S. Championships were held in 1914 in New Haven, Connecticut, a ...
took place between January 20 and 27th at the
Xcel Energy Center
Xcel Energy Center is a multipurpose arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Completed in 2000 and often called "The X" by fans, it is named for its locally based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 17,954, the arena ...
in
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, ...
. Skaters competed in four disciplines –
men's singles, ladies' singles,
pair skating
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline defined by the International Skating Union (ISU) as "the skating of two persons in unison who perform their movements in such harmony with each other as to give the impression of genuine Pair Skating ...
, and
ice dancing
Ice dance (sometimes referred to as ice dancing) is a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing. It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. A ...
– across three levels of competition – senior, junior, and novice. Medals were awarded in four colors: gold (first), silver (second), bronze (third), and pewter (fourth).
The event was used to determine the U.S. teams for the
2008 World Championships,
2008 Four Continents Championships, and
2008 World Junior Championships.
Competition notes
* Reigning four-time ice dancing silver medalists
Melissa Gregory
Melissa Gregory (born May 22, 1981) is an American former ice dancer. With partner and husband Denis Petukhov, she is the 2005 Four Continents silver medalist, a 2006 United States Olympic team member, and a four-time (2004–07) U.S. national ...
/
Denis Petukhov
Denis Alexandrovich Petukhov (; born October 6, 1978) is a retired Russian-American ice dancer. With his wife Melissa Gregory, he is the 2005 Four Continents silver medalist, a 2006 United States Olympic team member, and a four-time (2004– ...
withdrew before the event due to injury.
* Reigning silver medalist single skater
Emily Hughes
Emily Anne Hughes (born January 26, 1989) is an American former figure skater. She is the 2007 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, 2007 Four Continents silver medalist and 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, 2007 U.S. national sil ...
withdrew before the event due to injury.
* Ladies gold medalist
Mirai Nagasu
is an American former competitive Figure skating, figure skater. She is a Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics – Team event, 2018 Olympic Games team event bronze medalist, three-time Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Four Co ...
, silver medalist
Rachael Flatt
Rachael Elizabeth Flatt (born July 21, 1992) is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 2008 World Junior champion, a winner of four silver medals on the Grand Prix series, and the 2010 U.S. national champion.
She was nomina ...
, and pewter medalist
Caroline Zhang
Caroline Zhao Zhang (born May 20, 1993) is an American figure skater. She is a two-time (2010 and 2012) Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2007 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, 2007 World ...
were not placed on the World or Four Continents team because they were not age-eligible.
* Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir tied in the overall score, with Weir winning the short program and Lysacek winning the free skating. Lysacek won the title on the first tiebreak under
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international sport governing body, governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded ...
rules, which was the free skating score.
Qualifying
Qualification for the U.S. Championships begins at one of nine regional competitions. The regions are New England, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Upper Great Lakes, Eastern Great Lakes, Southwestern, Northwest Pacific, Central Pacific, and Southwest Pacific. 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.S. Championships.
The top five finishers in each discipline from the previous year are given byes to the U.S. Championships, as are any skaters who qualify for the
Junior
Junior or Juniors may refer to:
Aircraft
* Ekolot JK-05L Junior, a Polish ultralight aircraft
* PZL-112 Junior, a Polish training aircraft
* SZD-51 Junior, a Polish-made training and club glider
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Bowser Jr., ...
or the
Senior Grand Prix Final. Skaters are also given byes through a qualifying competition if they are assigned to 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 sectionals. 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.
Senior results
Men
Ladies
Pairs
Ice dancing
Junior results
Men
Ladies
Pairs
Ice dancing
International team selections
World Championships
Four Continents Championships
World Junior Championships
References
Sources
U.S. Figure Skating Announces World, Four Continents and World Junior Teams*
*
*
*
External links
*
Saint Paul 2008 Figure Skating Championships
{{Commons category
Sports in Minneapolis–Saint Paul
United States Figure Skating Championships
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships are an annual figure skating competition organized by U.S. Figure Skating to crown the national champions of the United States. The first U.S. Championships were held in 1914 in New Haven, Connecticut, ...
U.S. Figure Skating Championships
United States Figure Skating Championships, 2008
January 2008 sports events in the United States