The 1994 United States Figure Skating Championships was the United States Figure Skating Championships of the 1993–1994 figure skating season. They were the national championship to determine the national champions of the United States. They were held in Detroit, Michigan. In addition to determining the national champions, the event was used to determine the U.S. teams for the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships and the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Medals were awarded in four colors: gold (first), silver (second), bronze (third), and pewter (fourth) in four disciplines – men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing – across three levels: senior, junior, and novice.
The competition was notable for the return of previous Olympians Brian Boitano and Elaine Zayak, as well as the pre-competition attack on Nancy Kerrigan by associates of rival skater Tonya Harding. Harding subsequently was stripped of her ladies' championship title after authorities found that she had failed to prevent the assault.
Medalists
Senior medalists
^† In June 1994, U.S. Figure Skating voted to no longer recognize Tonya Harding's 1994 win.[1] The gold medal position was left vacant; the other competitors did not move up one position.
Junior medalists
Novice medalists
Senior-level results
Men
Ladies
Pairs
Ice dancing
Rank |
Name |
CD1 |
CD2 |
OD |
FD |
1 |
Elizabeth Punsalan / Jerod Swallow | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
2 |
Susan Wynne / Russ Witherby | | | 3 | 2 |
3 |
Amy Webster / Ron Kravette | | | 4 | 3 |
4 |
Wendy Millette / Jason Tebo | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
5 |
Tamara Kuchiki / Neale Smull | | | 5 | 5 |
6 |
Galit Chait / Maxim Sevostianov | | | 7 | 6 |
7 |
Julia Bikbova / Robert Peal | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
8 |
Christina Fitzgerald / Mark Fitzgerald | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
9 |
Cheryl Demkowski / Sean Gates | | | 10 | 9 |
10 |
Mica Darley / Michael Sklutovsky | | | 11 | 10 |
11 |
Elizabeth Buhl / Augustine DiBella | | | 12 | 12 |
12 |
Tiffani Tucker / Collin Vail Sullivan | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
13 |
Sian Matthews / Yovanny Durango | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
14 |
Melissa Boney / Gerald Miele | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
WD |
Renee Roca / Gorsha Sur | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
Junior-level results
Men
Rank |
Name |
SP |
FS |
1 |
Jere Michael | 1 | 1 |
2 |
Jason Sylvia | 2 | 3 |
3 |
Johnnie Bevan | 5 | 2 |
4 |
Matthew Kessinger | 6 | 4 |
5 |
Eric Bohnstedt | 4 | 5 |
6 |
Trifun Zivanovic | 3 | 6 |
7 |
Derrick Delmore | 8 | 7 |
8 |
Roman Fraden | 7 | 8 |
9 |
Derek Stedingh | 9 | 9 |
10 |
Jamie Loper | 11 | 10 |
11 |
Eddie Gornik | 12 | 11 |
12 |
Michael Edgren | 10 | 13 |
13 |
Erik Rockwell | 13 | 12 |
14 |
Michael Demetrius Orr | 13 | 14 |
Ladies
Pairs
Rank |
Name |
SP |
FS |
1 |
Nicole Bateson-Rock / Keith Tindall | 1 | 1 |
2 |
Cheryl Marker / Todd Price | 2 | 2 |
3 |
Sara Ward / J. Paul Binnebose | 4 | 3 |
4 |
Danielle Hartsell / Steve Hartsell | 3 | 4 |
5 |
Celina Taylor / Mel Chapman | 5 | 5 |
6 |
Ari Blank / Jeb Gerth | 8 | 6 |
7 |
Nicole Perry / David Delago | 6 | 7 |
8 |
Anne Ramos / Benjamin Oberman | 9 | 8 |
9 |
Lauren Weldon / Jim Peterson | 7 | 9 |
10 |
Kristen Youlden / Fred Palascak | 10 | 10 |
11 |
Melanie Lambert / Robert Van Uitert | 11 | 11 |
12 |
Erin Fisher / Eddy Zeidler | 15 | 12 |
13 |
Akemi Kawaguchi / Ron Brilliant | 14 | 13 |
14 |
Allison Rochford / Robert Rochford | 13 | 14 |
15 |
Breanne Heldman / Jeremiah Jackson | 12 | 15 |
Ice dancing
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 and Elaine Zayak sought to compete in order to go to the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Having retired from competitive skating after winning Olympic gold in 1988 and the 1988 World Championships, 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 and made the Olympic team as the United States had 2 spots.[2]
Kerrigan/Harding controversy[3]
The January 6, 1994 attack on 1993 champion and Ladies gold frontrunner Nancy Kerrigan 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's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckardt,[4] 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 initiated proceedings to remove her from the 1994 Olympic team, but Harding retained her place after threatening legal action.[5] She finished eighth, while Kerrigan, who recovered from her injuries, finished second.
Collision
During a warm-up, ice dancer Renée Roca was skating backward and collided with the team of Galit Chait and Maksim Sevostyanov, fracturing a bone in her left arm.[6] Two hours later, she returned from the hospital with her arm in a cast and decided to try to compete.[6] She and partner Gorsha Sur placed second in the rhumba, however, Roca was unable to secure a firm grip with her left hand,[6] and had to withdraw from the rest of the competition.
See also
References
External links