2008 US Figure Skating Nationals

US National Figure Skating Championships kicked off this week in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with new and seasoned athletes attempting to prove their Olympic “mettle.”

NBC Sports and IceNetwork.com cover the competition from intro events on Sunday, January 20th through the exhibition celebration on Sunday, January 27th.

Favorite figure skaters from around the nation hold their own against up-and-coming athletes as the US National Figure Skating Championships began. To help jump-start the main events, Kristi Yamaguchi will sign autographs and take pictures with fans this evening in the main rotunda from 5:00-7:00pm.

Novice

Novice figure skaters gain experiences while vying for national titles in each discipline. Nationals serves as their opportunity to perform to a crowd of thousands, to work out their nerves while achieving technical growth, and to observe seasoned athletes first-hand.

If you watched the Novice Pairs events closely, you may have spotted a familiar face on the officials’ panel. Former champ Jason Dungjen was slated to be the Technical Specialist for this discipline.

Juniors

This year’s Nationals is very important for Junior competitors hoping to test and compete in the Senior level next year. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games seems far away to most spectators, but these young Olympic hopefuls have only one more season to qualify and prove their consistency to the National Association.

Seniors

Senior competitors began their programs later in the week, after Novice and Junior Champions were crowned. So far, Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto lead the ice dancing field. Long-timers Rena Inoue & John Baldwin are surprisingly in second after the pairs short. We’ll see if Keauna McLaughlin & Rockne Brubaker can hold on to the lead.

Leading ladies, including Alissa Czisny, Beatrisa Liang, and Kimmy Meissner, skate their short programs today, while the men, who include Jeremy Abbott, Ryan Bradley, and Johnny Weir, begin competing tomorrow. Winners of Nationals will most likely be invited to compete at the World Figure Skating Championships this spring.