Detroit Will Host 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships

With the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships set to begin this weekend, Detroit can look forward to the same excitement this time next year. Late last year, U.S. Figure Skating selected Detroit to host the 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Junior free skate and dance and championship level events will take place at Little Caesars Arena, while other junior and youth events will take place at the Detroit Skating Club. The city will see over a week of competition starting on Jan. 19, 2019, and concluding on Jan 27, with the championship evening.

The event will select U.S. champions in ladies, men’s, pairs and ice dance. The U.S. Championships are the last shot many athletes will have at making the U.S. World figure skating team. The U.S. Figure Skating Championship attract over 1,700 athletes, coaches, officials and media, and are estimated to create over $18 million in local economic impact, according to US. Figure Skating.

In 1994, the last time the championships took place in Detroit, leading contender Nancy Kerrigan was assaulted during practice by men linked to her rival, fellow American skater Tonya Harding, one of whom struck her knee with a baton. These events are chronicled in the new movie, "I, Tonya," staring Australian Margot Robbie as Harding. U.S. Figure Skating officials say they look forward to bringing the national championship back to Detroit for the first time in more than two decades.

“U.S. Figure Skating is excited for the return of the U.S. Championships to Detroit for the first time since 1994,” U.S. Figure Skating President Sam Auxier said. “Detroit and all of Michigan is a skating hotbed that is home to many of our top athletes, both past and present. Detroit, highlighted by the newly opened Little Caesars Arena and downtown redevelopment, will be a great host to our athletes, coaches officials and fans from around the country.”

Officials at Little Caesar’s Arena are also glad to have the event back in Detroit.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships back to the city of Detroit,” said Tom Wilson, Olympia Entertainment president and CEO and interim president of 313 Presents. “The event has a rich history with a passionate fan following, and we’re confident that the athletes, coaches and fans will enjoy a first-class experience in our great city.”