| 1994 United States Figure Skating Championships | |
| Comptype: | National Championship |
| Startdate: | January 4 |
| Enddate: | 8 |
| Skatingseason: | 1993–94 |
| Location: | Detroit, Michigan |
| Venue: | Joe Louis Arena |
| Championmen: | Scott Davis |
| Championladies: | |
| Championpairs: | Jenni Meno / Todd Sand |
| Championdance: | Elizabeth Punsalan / Jerod Swallow |
| Previouscomp: | 1993 U.S. Championships |
| Nextcomp: | 1995 U.S. 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.
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.
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Pewter | |
| Men | Todd Eldredge | ||||
| Ladies | No champion | Elaine Zayak | |||
| Pairs | Natasha Kuchiki / Rocky Marval | ||||
| Ice dancing | 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.
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Pewter | |
| Men | Jason Sylvia | Matthew Kessinger | |||
| Ladies | Jennifer Karl | Lisa Bell | Chrisha Gossard | ||
| Pairs | Nicole Bateson Rock / Keith Tindall | Cheryl Marker / Todd Price | Danielle Hartsell / Steve Hartsell | ||
| Ice dancing | Carissa Green / Gregory Maddalone | Nicole Dumonceaux / John Repucci |
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Pewter | |
| Men | Pete St. Germaine | Peter Kongkasem | Bert Cording | ||
| Ladies | Cohen Duncan | Jennifer Joh | Melanie Price | ||
| Pairs | Gretel Reich / Stephen Bidon | Sarah Booth / Matthew Buttrey | Natalie Vlandis / Jered Guzman | ||
| Ice dancing | Natalie Wolenter / David Gratta | Shannon Simon / Jason Simon | Pamela Meininger / Keith Schonrock III |
| Rank | Name | SP | FS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 5 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 6 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 7 | 9 | 7 | ||
| 8 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 9 | 8 | 9 | ||
| 10 | 11 | 10 | ||
| 11 | Colin VanderVeen | 10 | 11 | |
| 12 | Gig Siruno | 12 | 12 | |
| 13 | 18 | 13 | ||
| 14 | Paul Dulebohn | 16 | 14 | |
| 15 | Mel Chapman | 15 | 15 | |
| 16 | Glenn Armstrong | 18 | 16 | |
| WD | Steven Smith | 13 | ||
| WD | 14 |
| Rank | Name | SP | FS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonya Harding | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 6 | 5 | ||
| 6 | Michelle Cho | 7 | 6 | |
| 7 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 8 | 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 | 12 | |||
| WD | Melissa Ann Nelson | 17 | ||
| WD | ||||
| WD | Tanya Street |
| Rank | Name | SP | FS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 7 | 5 | ||
| 6 | Tristen Vega / Joel McKeever | 6 | 6 | |
| 7 | 5 | 7 | ||
| 8 | 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 | 13 | 13 | ||
| 14 | Robin Heckler / Jeff Tilley | 9 | 15 | |
| 15 | 16 | 14 | ||
| WD | Dawn Piepenbrink / Nick Castaneda | 15 |
| Rank | Name | CD1 | CD2 | OD | FD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 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 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Rank | Name | SP | FS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2 | Jason Sylvia | 2 | 3 | |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 4 | Matthew Kessinger | 6 | 4 | |
| 5 | Eric Bohnstedt | 4 | 5 | |
| 6 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 7 | 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 |
| Rank | Name | SP | FS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer Karl | 4 | 1 | |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 3 | Lisa Bell | 1 | 4 | |
| 4 | Crisha Gossard | 6 | 3 | |
| 5 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 6 | Amy D'Entremont | 7 | 6 | |
| 7 | 5 | 7 | ||
| 8 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 9 | Emily Freedman | 10 | 9 | |
| 10 | Jaime Lea Lund | 11 | 10 | |
| 11 | Serena Phillips | 9 | 12 | |
| 12 | Kristy Venasky | 12 | 11 |
| Rank | Name | SP | FS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicole Bateson-Rock / Keith Tindall | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Cheryl Marker / Todd Price | 2 | 2 | |
| 3 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 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 | 7 | 9 | ||
| 10 | 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 |
| Rank | Name | CD1 | CD2 | OD | FD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2 | Carissa Green / Gregory Maddalone | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 3 | 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 |
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]
See main article: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan.
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]
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. Two hours later, she returned from the hospital with her arm in a cast and decided to try to compete. She and partner Gorsha Sur placed second in the rhumba, however, Roca was unable to secure a firm grip with her left hand, and had to withdraw from the rest of the competition.