U.S. International Figure Skating Classic
The U.S. International Figure Skating Classic was an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union, organized and hosted by U.S. Figure Skating. The competition debuted in 2012 in Salt Lake City, and when the ISU launched the ISU Challenger Series in 2014, the U.S. International Classic was one of the inaugural competitions. The U.S. International Classic was a Challenger Series event seven times during its history. Medals were awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance; and when the event was part of the Challenger Series, skaters earned ISU World Standing points based on their results. The competition was last held in 2022.
Max Aaron of the United States holds the record for the most wins in men's singles, while Satoko Miyahara of Japan holds the record in women's singles. Ashley Cain and Timothy LeDuc of the United States, and Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch of Canada, are tied for the most wins in pair skating, while Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of the United States hold the record in ice dance.
History
The inaugural edition of the U.S. International Classic was held in 2012 in Salt Lake City. Skaters from the United States won a majority of the medals, including a sweep of the men's event. Max Aaron and Agnes Zawadzki of the United States won the men's and women's events, respectively. Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch of Canada won the pairs event, and Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, also of Canada, won the ice dance event.The ISU Challenger Series was introduced in 2014. It is a series of international figure skating competitions sanctioned by the International Skating Union and organized by ISU member nations. The objective was to ensure consistent organization and structure within a series of international competitions linked together, providing opportunities for senior-level skaters to compete at the international level and also earn ISU World Standing points. The U.S. International Classic was a Challenger Series event from 2014 through 2019, and again in 2022.
No competition was held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although it had already been left off the slate of competitions for the 2020–21 ISU Challenger Series. The U.S. International Classic returned in 2021, hosted by the Skating Club of Boston at their new facility in Norwood, Massachusetts. The 2021 edition was not part of the Challenger Series, and in addition, the pairs event was omitted.
The 2022 U.S. International Classic gained media attention when Ilia Malinin of the United States landed the first ever quadruple Axel in competition. While skaters in the past had attempted the quadruple Axel, Malinin was the first to successfully land one with four-and-a-half proper rotations in the air. Although the 2022 installment was held as an event in the 2022–23 ISU Challenger Series, it was also the last installment of the U.S. International Classic to be held.