2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships


The 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships took place between January 14 and 24 at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington with AT&T as the title sponsor. Skaters competed in four disciplines – men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing – across three levels: senior, junior, and novice. Medals were awarded in four colors: gold, silver, bronze, and pewter.
The Olympics were to begin 18 days after the end of the U.S. Championships. The senior-level Championship events were therefore spread out over two weekends to allow the skaters approximately four weeks between the end of their event and the start of the corresponding Olympic competition.
The event was among the criteria used to select the U.S. teams for the 2010 Winter Olympics, 2010 World Championships, 2010 Four Continents Championships, and 2010 World Junior Championships.
The senior compulsory dance was the Golden Waltz.

Olympic team selection

The results of the 2010 U.S. Championships were among the criteria used to determine the 2010 Olympic team. The competitions used in the selection process were, in order of priority:
  1. 2010 U.S. Championships
  2. 2009–10 Grand Prix Final
  3. 2009 World Championships
  4. 2009 Four Continents Championships
  5. 2009 World Junior Championships
  6. 2009–10 Junior Grand Prix Final
The United States had qualified 3 Olympic spots in men's singles and ice dancing and 2 Olympic spots in ladies singles and pair skating. The entrants are nominated by U.S. Figure Skating and must be confirmed by the United States Olympic Committee.
The nominees in each discipline were announced following the completion of that discipline's competition. The pairs entrants were nominated on January 16, the men on January 17, and the ladies and ice dancers on January 23.

Qualification

Qualification for the U.S. Championships began at one of nine regional competitions: 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 competition advanced to one of three sectional competitions: Eastern, Midwestern, and Pacific Coast. Skaters who placed in the top four at the sectional competitions advanced to the U.S. Championships.
Byes to the competition were given to skaters who had won medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics or the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships; to the top five finishers in each senior-level discipline at the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships; to any skaters who qualified for the 2009–10 Junior or Senior Grand Prix Final in the discipline in which they qualified; and to any skater who was assigned to an international event that occurred at the same time as their sectional championship.

Byes

The following skaters have been given byes to the 2010 U.S. Championships and did not have to compete at regionals or sectionals.
Ice dancers Morgan Matthews / Leif Gislason would have received a bye due to their 5th-place finish. However, the team dissolved following the 2008–09 season.

International team selections

Winter Olympics

The nominations to the Olympic team were announced as follows:
MenLadiesPairsIce dancing
1Jeremy AbbottRachael FlattCaydee Denney / Jeremy BarrettMeryl Davis / Charlie White
2Evan LysacekMirai NagasuAmanda Evora / Mark LadwigTanith Belbin / Benjamin Agosto
3Johnny WeirEmily Samuelson / Evan Bates
1st alternateRyan BradleyAshley WagnerRena Inoue / John BaldwinKimberly Navarro / Brent Bommentre
2nd alternateAdam RipponSasha CohenKeauna McLaughlin / Rockne BrubakerMadison Chock / Greg Zuerlein
3rd alternateBrandon MrozChristina GaoBrooke Castile / Ben OkolskiMadison Hubbell / Keiffer Hubbell

World Championships

The World Championships team was announced as follows:
MenLadiesPairsIce dancing
1Jeremy AbbottRachael FlattCaydee Denney / Jeremy BarrettMeryl Davis / Charlie White
2Evan LysacekMirai NagasuAmanda Evora / Mark LadwigTanith Belbin / Benjamin Agosto
3Johnny WeirEmily Samuelson / Evan Bates
1st alternateRyan BradleyAshley WagnerKeauna McLaughlin / Rockne BrubakerKimberly Navarro / Brent Bommentre
2nd alternateAdam RipponSasha CohenBrooke Castile / Ben OkolskiMadison Chock / Greg Zuerlein
3rd alternateBrandon MrozBebe LiangCaitlin Yankowskas / John CoughlinMadison Hubbell / Keiffer Hubbell
4th alternateAmanda Dobbs / Joseph Jacobsen

Four Continents Championships

The Four Continents Championships team was announced as follows:
MenLadiesPairsIce dancing
1Ryan BradleyAmanda DobbsBrooke Castile / Ben OkolskiMadison Chock / Greg Zuerlein
2Brandon MrozAlexe GillesKeauna McLaughlin / Rockne BrubakerMadison Hubbell / Keiffer Hubbell
3Adam RipponCaroline ZhangCaitlin Yankowskas / John CoughlinJane Summersett / Todd Gilles
1st alternateArmin MahbanoozadehMelissa BulanhaguiMarissa Castelli / Simon ShnapirLynn Kriengkrairut / Logan Giulietti-Schmitt
2nd alternateDouglas RazzanoBecky BereswillAndrea Best / Trevor YoungTrina Pratt / Chris Obzansky
3rd alternateAlex JohnsonShannon Wingle / Timothy McKernan

World Junior Championships

The World Junior Championships team was announced as follows:
MenLadiesPairsIce dancing
1Grant HochsteinChristina GaoBrynn Carman / A.J. ReissMaia Shibutani / Alex Shibutani
2Armin MahbanoozadehAshley WagnerBritney Simpson / Nathan MillerRachel Tibbetts / Collin Brubaker
3Ross MinerAgnes ZawadzkiFelicia Zhang / Taylor TothPiper Gilles / Zachary Donohue
1st alternateKeegan MessingKiri BagaAshley Cain / Joshua ReaganIsabella Cannuscio / Ian Lorello
2nd alternateRichard DornbushLindsay DavisTori Vollmer / Zack SidhuAnastasia Olson / Jordan Cowan
3rd alternateJason BrownMelissa BulanhaguiKylie Duarte / Colin GraftonLauri Bonacorsi / Travis Mager