1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships

The 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships were held at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 event was used to determine the U.S. teams for the 1994 Winter Olympics and the 1994 World Championships.

1994 United States Figure Skating Championships
Type:National Championship
Date:January 4 – 8
Season:1993–94
Location:Detroit, Michigan
Venue:Joe Louis Arena
Champions
Men's singles:
Scott Davis
Ladies' singles:
Tonya Harding DQ
Pairs:
Jenni Meno / Todd Sand
Ice dance:
Elizabeth Punsalan / Jerod Swallow
Navigation
Previous:
1993 U.S. Championships
Next:
1995 U.S. Championships

The competition was famous for the return of previous Olympians Brian Boitano and Elaine Zayak, as well as the pre-competition attack on Nancy Kerrigan by associates of skater Tonya Harding. Harding subsequently was stripped of her ladies' championship title after she pleaded guilty to failing to report the assault to the police after the fact, although she maintains that she had no knowledge of the attack beforehand.

Medalists

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Senior

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Event Gold Silver Bronze Pewter
Men Scott Davis Brian Boitano Aren Nielsen Todd Eldredge
Ladies No champion Michelle Kwan Nicole Bobek Elaine Zayak
Pairs Jenni Meno / Todd Sand Kyoko Ina / Jason Dungjen Karen Courtland / Todd Reynolds Natasha Kuchiki / Rocky Marval
Ice dancing Elizabeth Punsalan / Jerod Swallow Susan Wynne / Russ Witherby Amy Webster / Ron Kravette Wendy Millette / Jason Tebo

^† 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

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Event Gold Silver Bronze Pewter
Men Jere Michael 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 Danielle Hartsell / Steve Hartsell
Ice dancing Laura Gayton / Oleg Fediukov Carissa Green / Gregory Maddalone Eve Chalom / Mathew Gates Nicole Dumonceaux / John Repucci

Novice

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Event Gold Silver Bronze Pewter
Men Timothy Goebel Pete St. Germaine Peter Kongkasem Bert Cording
Ladies Cohen Duncan Tara Lipinski Jennifer Joh Melanie Price
Pairs Brie Teaboldt / John Zimmerman Gretel Reich / Stephen Bidon Sarah Booth / Matthew Buttrey Natalie Vlandis / Jered Guzman
Ice dancing Jessica Joseph / Charles Butler Jr. Natalie Wolenter / David Gratta Shannon Simon / Jason Simon Pamela Meininger / Keith Schonrock III

Senior results

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Rank Name SP FS
1 Scott Davis 2 1
2 Brian Boitano 1 2
3 Aren Nielsen 5 3
4 Todd Eldredge 3 4
5 Mark Mitchell 6 5
6 Shepherd Clark 4 6
7 Rudy Galindo 9 7
8 Michael Weiss 7 8
9 Damon Allen 8 9
10 Dan Hollander 11 10
11 Colin VanderVeen 10 11
12 Gig Siruno 12 12
13 John Baldwin Jr. 18 13
14 Paul Dulebohn 16 14
15 Mel Chapman 15 15
16 Glenn Armstrong 18 16
WD Steven Smith 13
WD Larry Holliday 14

Ladies

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Rank Name SP FS
1 Tonya Harding 1 1
2 Michelle Kwan 3 2
3 Nicole Bobek 2 3
4 Elaine Zayak 4 4
5 Tonia Kwiatkowski 6 5
6 Michelle Cho 7 6
7 Lisa Ervin 5 8
8 Jessica Mills 8 7
9 Teresa Aiello 11 9
10 Amanda Farkas 10 10
11 Lisa Matras 13 11
12 Keri Anne Thomas 9 13
13 Denise Long 15 12
14 Lisa Talbot 16 14
15 Jennifer Verili 14 15
16 Patricia Mansfield 18 16
WD Jenna Pittman 12
WD Melissa Ann Nelson 17
WD Nancy Kerrigan
WD Tanya Street

Pairs

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Rank Name SP FS
1 Jenni Meno / Todd Sand 1 1
2 Kyoko Ina / Jason Dungjen 2 2
3 Karen Courtland / Todd Reynolds 3 3
4 Natasha Kuchiki / Rocky Marval 4 4
5 Stephanie Stiegler / Lance Travis 7 5
6 Tristen Vega / Joel McKeever 6 6
7 Calla Urbanski / Joseph Mero 5 7
8 Jennifer Perez / John Frederiksen 8 8
9 Aimee Offner / Brad Cox 10 9
10 Sharon Carz / Troy Goldstein 12 10
11 Holly Benson / Steven Moore 11 11
12 Tracey Damigella / Doug Williams 14 12
13 Laura Murphy / Brian Wells 13 13
14 Robin Heckler / Jeff Tilley 9 15
15 Erin Moorad / Richard Gillam 16 14
WD Dawn Piepenbrink / Nick Castaneda 15

Ice dancing

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Rank Name CD1 CD2 OD FD
1 Elizabeth Punsalan / Jerod Swallow 2 1 1 1
2 Susan Wynne / Russ Witherby 3 4 3 2
3 Amy Webster / Ron Kravette 4 3 4 3
4 Wendy Millette / Jason Tebo 5 5 6 4
5 Tamara Kuchiki / Neale Smull 7 6 5 5
6 Galit Chait / Maxim Sevostianov 6 7 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 11 10 10 9
10 Mica Darley / Michael Sklutovsky 12 11 11 10
11 Elizabeth Buhl / Augustine DiBella 10 12 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 results

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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

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Rank Name SP FS
1 Jennifer Karl 4 1
2 Amanda Ward 3 2
3 Lisa Bell 1 4
4 Crisha Gossard 6 3
5 Angela Nikodinov 2 5
6 Amy D'Entremont 7 6
7 Brittney McConn 5 7
8 Amber Corwin 8 8
9 Emily Freedman 10 9
10 Jaime Lea Lund 11 10
11 Serena Phillips 9 12
12 Kristy Venasky 12 11

Pairs

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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 16 12
13 Erin Covington / Brandonb Powell 12 14
14 Akemi Kawaguchi / Ron Brilliant 15 13
15 Allison Rochford / Robert Rochford 13 15
16 Breanne Heldman / Jeremiah Jackson 12 16

Ice dancing

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Rank Name CD1 CD2 OD FD
1 Laura Gayton / Oleg Fediukov 1 1 1 1
2 Carissa Green / Gregory Maddalone 2 2 2 2
3 Eve Chalom / Mathew Gates 3 3 3 3
4 Nicole Dumonceaux / John Repucci 5 5 4 4
5 Jayna Cronin / Jonathan Nichols 4 4 5 5
6 Tami Tyler / Stith Letsinger 6 6 6 6
7 Kari Downey / Garrett Brockert 7 7 7 7
8 Kristina Feliciano / Alex Jacoby 8 8 8 8
9 Jamie Coffey / Kurt Dreger 9 9 9 10
10 Dawn Ponte / Paul Frey 13 10 10 9
11 Michelle Poley / Kevin Spada 10 11 11 12
12 Darlin Baker / D.J. Gray 12 12 12 11
13 Daniela Lopez / Andres Lopez 15 14 14 13
14 Celia Cohen / Shawn Jellse 14 15 13 14
15 Jenny Dahlen / Sergei Lihachov 11 13 15 15

Reinstatement of professionals to amateur status

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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

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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,[3] hired Shane Stant to strike Kerrigan on the knee, though Stant actually struck Kerrigan's thigh a few inches above the knee. Kerrigan's injury forced her withdrawal, and Harding won the event.

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.[4] She finished eighth in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, while Kerrigan, who recovered from her injuries, finished second.[5]

Collision

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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.

References

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  1. ^ "U.S. Title Is Taken Back From Harding". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 1, 1994. Retrieved Sep 28, 2010.
  2. ^ "FIGURE SKATING; Golden Boy Boitano Settles for a Second (Published 1994)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2019-08-24.
  3. ^ "Player in attack on Kerrigan dies at 40". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. December 15, 2007. Archived from the original on December 18, 2007.
  4. ^ "Mass Moments: Skater Nancy Kerrigan Assaulted". Archived from the original on 2010-11-26. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
  5. ^ "1994 Winter Olympics: Tonya Harding finishes 8th in women's figure skating". 26 February 1994.
  6. ^ a b c Longman, Jere (January 6, 1994). "OLYMPICS; Roca, Ice Dancer, Breaks Arm But Comes Back to Skate On". The New York Times. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
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