2019 GEICO U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS BEGIN FRIDAY IN DETROIT

(DETROIT – January 16, 2019) – The 2019 GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships will be held Jan. 18-27, 2019, in Detroit, with junior and championship competition taking place at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena in The District Detroit, and novice, intermediate and juvenile competitions being held at the Detroit Skating Club. Nearly 400 figure skaters will vie for 20 U.S. titles in the disciplines of ladies, men’s, pairs and ice dance.

The U.S. Championships serve as the final qualifying competition before U.S. Figure Skating names the 2019 World Figure Skating Team, 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Team and 2019 Four Continents Figure Skating Team. Team USA will send three athletes or teams from each discipline to the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2019 on home soil in Anaheim, California, Feb 7-10.

Official practice begins Thursday, Jan. 17. Competition begins at 9:45 a.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 18 with the juvenile girl’s free skate. Championship-level competition begins Thursday, Jan. 24 with the pairs short program.

NBCSN will host live primetime coverage of the event, beginning with the pairs short program Thursday, Jan. 24, at 5 p.m. ET, and continuing with the ladies short program on Thursday evening. The rhythm dance will be on NBCSN at 4 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 25, and the free dance will air live on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. ET. NBC begins its live coverage on Friday, Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. ET with the ladies free skate. On Saturday, Jan. 26, the pairs free skate and men’s short program will air on NBC starting at 1:30 p.m. ET. NBC’s coverage will conclude with the men’s free skate on Sunday, Jan. 27 at 3:30 p.m. ET. NBC will also present the Skating Spectacular on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Terry Gannon will handle play-by-play responsibilities throughout the competition on NBC and NBCSN and will be joined by 1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski and three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir who will commentate on the ladies, men’s and pairs competition. 2006 Olympic silver medalist Tanith White also be on the call for the ice dance segments and reporter Andrea Joyce will join the broadcast team backstage.

The 2019 GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships is part of the 2019 Team USA Champions Series, presented by Xfinity. The champions series showcases numerous Olympic sports throughout the season, highlighting the year-round quest of Team USA athletes to compete at the Olympic Games.

NBC Sports Gold will provide live and on-demand coverage of all junior- and championship-level events to Figure Skating Pass subscribers. All novice, intermediate and juvenile footage will be available live on the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. The Fan Zone will also feature event recaps, athlete interviews, live results and more through U.S. Championships.

The Bridgestone Ice Desk will stream live from Detroit on U.S. Figure Skating’s Facebook and YouTube. Nick McCarvel will host the coverage with analysts Michael Weiss (three-time U.S. men’s champion), Brooke Castile (2007 U.S. pairs champion), Mirai Nagasu (2008 U.S. ladies champion, 2018 Olympic Team Event bronze medalist) and Emily Samuelson (three-time U.S. ice dance medalist) joining for commentary.

For additional event information or to purchase tickets, visit 2019uschampionships.com. To follow the event on Twitter, follow U.S. Figure Skating (@USFigureSkating) and use the event hashtag #USChamps19.

The city of Detroit last hosted the U.S. Championships in 1994 at Joe Louis Arena. Detroit has also been the site of Skate America four times, most recently in 2013. The Detroit Skating Club has been home to numerous U.S., Olympic and World champions throughout U.S. Figure Skating’s history, including Tara Lipinski, Todd Eldredge and Meryl Davis and Charlie White. A handful of current championship level skaters also have ties to Michigan. Reigning World silver medalists Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue call Lansing Skating Club home, 2018 Olympians Madison Chock and Evan Bates both grew up in the greater Detroit area, and reigning junior U.S. champions Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko train in Novi, Michigan. 

2019 GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships

NBC and NBCSN Broadcast Schedule

All times Eastern, subject to change, check local listing

2019 GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships

NBC Sports Gold Streaming Schedule 

All times Eastern, subject to change, all events live

2019 GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships

U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone Streaming Schedule

All times Eastern, subject to change, all events live