Qualifying Competitions in The United States
The United States Figure Skating Association holds national championships in five skill divisions. From highest to lowest, these are:
- Senior (also known as Championship)
- Junior
- Novice
- Intermediate
- Juvenile
Unlike the International Skating Union, which categorizes novice, junior, and senior skaters by age, in the US these are test or skill levels. For example, a skater who competes in the junior division must have passed the junior skating test in that particular discipline, but not yet the senior test. In practice, the skills required to pass the tests are well below those that are required to be competitive at the corresponding level, and skaters choose which level to test based on the level they think they can compete at successfully, rather than vice-versa.
The national novice, junior, and senior competitions in men and ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing are held at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships each year. The national juvenile and intermediate competitions are held at a separate event known as the "U.S. Junior Championships" (but note that the "juniors" do not compete here).
The qualifying season for novice, junior, and senior skaters begins at one of nine regional championships, which are now typically held in the first half of October. The top four skaters from each regional advance to one of three sectional championships in November, from which the top four advance to the national championship in January. (Up until the 1990s, competitions were held later in the season, with regionals typically in November and sectionals often not until January.)
The regions and sections are:
| Eastern section | Midwestern section | Pacific Coast section |
|---|---|---|
| New England region | Eastern Great Lakes region | Pacific Northwest region |
| North Atlantic region | Upper Great Lakes region | Central Pacific region |
| South Atlantic region | Southwestern region | Southwest Pacific region |
Some skaters are also given "byes" through qualifying based on their results from the previous season's competitions, if they qualify for the Junior or Senior Grand Prix Final, or if they are assigned by the USFSA to international competitions that conflict with their qualifying competitions. Skaters are currently not eligible for byes at any level if they cannot compete in their qualifying competition due to injury or illness.
Juvenile and intermediate skaters also compete at regionals. From there, the top finishers advance directly to the U.S. Junior Championships. Because the number of competitors in these divisions is much larger in some regions than others, the number who advance from each region depends on the number of entries in that region.
Read more about this topic: Figure Skating Competitions
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