Qualification
Qualification for the U.S. Championships began at one of nine regional competitions: New England, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Upper Great Lakes, Eastern Great Lakes, Southwestern, Northwest Pacific, Central Pacific, and Southwest Pacific. The top four finishers in each regional competition advanced to one of three sectional competitions: Eastern, Midwestern, and Pacific Coast. Skaters who placed in the top four at the sectional competitions advanced to the U.S. Championships.
Byes to the competition were given to skaters who had won medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics or the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships; to the top five finishers in each senior-level discipline at the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships; to any skaters who qualified for the 2009–2010 Junior or Senior Grand Prix Final in the discipline in which they qualified; and to any skater who was assigned to an international event that occurred at the same time as their sectional championship.
Read more about this topic: 2010 United States Figure Skating Championships