The inaugural U.S. Championships took place in 1914 in New Haven, Connecticut, and was contested by skaters from both the United States and Canada. Norman Scott of Canada won the men's event, as well as the pairs' event with his partner, Jeanne Chevalier. Theresa Weld of the United States won the women's event. No competitions were held from 1915 to 1917 due to World War I, nor again in 1919. The championships returned in 1920 and have been held without interruption since. Ice dance was added in 1936, incorporating the waltz, fourteenstep, tango, and foxtrot. A live orchestra provided the music. There were no full cancellations of the championships due to World War II as there had been during World War I; only the senior men's events were cancelled in 1944 and 1945, because all but one of the skaters who would have competed had enlisted in the military. Arthur Preusch II, the only senior men's competitor who had remained in the United States, performed instead in exhibition.
Beginning with the 1988 U.S. Championships, pewter medals have been awarded to the fourth-place finishers in each event. Compulsory figures, which had been a required element of men's and women's single skating since the championships began, were retired after the 1990 U.S. Championships, although they continued as a separate event for men and women from 1991 to 1999, when they were retired altogether.
On January 6, 1994, one day before she was scheduled to compete at the 1994 U.S. Championships, Nancy Kerrigan was struck above the knee by an assailant with a baton and was forced to withdraw from the competition. Subsequent investigations determined that the assailant had been hired by the ex-husband of fellow skater Tonya Harding with the intention of preventing Kerrigan from competing at the U.S. Championships and the upcoming Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. Although Harding originally won the women's event at the 1994 U.S. Championships, U.S. Figure Skating later stripped her of that title.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 U.S. Championships were still held, albeit in a sealed arena with no live audience present. The sound of an audience was piped into the arena, seats were filled with fan cutouts, and the athletes' friends and families could be seen cheering them on via strategically-placed monitors.
Beginning with the 2022–23 season, skaters qualify for the U.S. Championships by competing in the National Qualifying Series (NQS), a series of regional competitions running from mid-July to early October. Skaters compete in one of three sections (Pacific Coast, Midwestern, or Eastern) based on geographic location. The highest-placed skaters and teams across all competitions advance to the NQS finals (Pacific Coast Sectional Finals, Eastern Sectional Finals, Midwestern Sectional Finals, U.S. Ice Dance Finals, or U.S. Pairs Finals). The top juvenile, intermediate, and novice skaters are invited to the National High Performance Development Camp, while junior and senior skaters advance to the U.S. Championships. Athletes may also receive a bye to the NQS finals by being assigned to and competing at an international assignment from an approved list.
Advancement to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships:
Single skating: 18 spots available
Athletes receiving a bye
Top two from each section, plus the next best scores nationwide until the maximum number of entrants is met
Pair skating: 12 spots available
Athletes receiving a bye
Next best scores from the NQS Finals until the maximum number of entrants is met
Ice dance: 15 spots available
Athletes receiving a bye
Next best scores from the NQS Finals until the maximum number of entrants is met
Skaters can earn the right at the U.S. Championships without qualifying through a sectional championship by accomplishing any of the following:
Placing in the top five in their respective discipline at the previous U.S. Championships at the senior level
↑In June 1994, U.S. Figure Skating voted to strip Tonya Harding of her 1994 title. However, the competition results were not changed and the title was left vacant.
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United States
