"This is now our reference point for what success looks like."

- Tracy Marek, CEO, U.S. Figure Skating

Prevagen US Figure Skating Championships logo

Like a perfectly choreographed routine, Columbus wrapped up six days of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in spectacular fashion.

Olympian Jason Brown finished his spin and gestured toward members of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra who'd played for his exhibition. There was mutual appreciation and admiration from the athlete and the artists.

Collaboration and creativity. Artistry and athleticism. This one had it all.

By the Numbers | Contributing Organizations | Community Collaborations | Making History | Timeline | Media Clips

AND NOW FOR THE SCORES...

Hosting for the first time, Columbus set personal bests in areas you can't score. The long-term impact of this event will increase over time. For now, here are the results that put our city on the podium.

 

Starr Andrews

60,000

ATTENDEES, THE MOST SINCE 2018

$8M

ESTIMATED DIRECT VISITOR SPEND

8.4B

ESTIMATED MEDIA REACH

#1

IN TV TIME PERIOD ON FRIDAY & SATURDAY

300

VOLUNTEER SHIFTS FILLED

Contributing Organizations

"A huge sporting event comes to town, happens to be figure skating, happens to be an Olympic sport ... and Columbus does what Columbus always does." 

- Christine Brennan, USA Today

What Columbus does well, it does together. With support from the city, county, state and local organizations, Columbus showed its finest work.

Whether it was custom, locally designed relief prints from Phoenix Rising Printmaking Cooperative, scarves for top finishers designed by the Columbus Fashion Alliance or hand-painted skates from a local artist Gabby Anderson, Columbus put a local flavor on the Championships.

Community Collaborations

We threaded the needle between fashion and figure skating with the Columbus College of Art & Design and emerging fashion designer Austin Tootle. Reigning women's champion Isabeau Levito worked with Tootle to design her 40,000-rhinestone dress.

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Less than one year after Timothy LeDuc, the first non-binary skater to compete in the Olympics, laced up his roller skates for the largest Pride celebration in the midwest, Amber Glenn became the first LGBTQ+ skater to win the women's gold at the U.S. Championships.

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An ensemble featuring six member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra performed excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence” live for during U.S. Olympian Jason Brown’s routine during the Prevagen Skating Spectacular. The Columbus Symphony Orchestra also played the national anthem on Sunday.

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We partnered with the Columbus Metropolitan Library for a month-long celebration of figure skating. That included the creation of a synthetic ice rink for kids, a display from the U.S. Figure Skating archives and packed book tours for Nancy Kerrigan and Gracie Gold.

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U.S. Figure Skating DEI Director Kadari Taylor-Watson led a panel of leaders dedicated to diversity and accessibility within the figure skating community at The Lincoln Theatre. Skaters from Figure Skating in Harlem got a tour of Ohio State and skated a live performance during the exhibition.

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From SkateFest to Boitano's Lounge, the Hall of Fame Dinner to the High-Performance Development Camp, we had skating boots on the ground for U.S. Figure Skating as it setup events related to the Championships within the walkable footprint of downtown Columbus.

  • 1998

    Greater Columbus Sports Commission CEO & President Linda Logan travels to meet with U.S. Figure Skating in Colorado Springs. It was the start of a long relationship and decades-long pursuit of U.S. Figure Skating's crown jewel event. 

    2001

    Columbus submits its first bid to host a U.S. Figure Skating event. Over the next 20 years, the city pursued the right to host events at various levels and disciplines, including the National Collegiate Championships, Skate America and the Synchronized Skating Championships.

    2005

    Columbus hosts about 400 members of U.S. Figure Skating for their annual Governing Council Meeting.

    2016

    The U.S. Figure Skating Governing Council Meetings return to Columbus, where U.S. Figure Skating President Sam Auxier says he believes the city could be a future host of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships or Skate America. 

    2019

    Members of the local organizing committee travel to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, one of many trips that demonstrated Columbus' continued interest in the event.

    2022

    Columbus submits a bid to host the 2024 or 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and sends a group to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose where it is announced that Columbus will host in 2024.

    2024

    Nationwide Arena and OhioHealth Ice Haus welcome the U.S. Figure Skating Championships from Jan. 22-28 for six days and 17 sessions of junior and senior level competition. 

As athletes, we felt so comfortable and excited to perform in this atmosphere."

- Jason Brown, U.S. Men's Silver Medalist

Brown was among three Olympians who visited Columbus the summer before the championships. Alongside Brian Boitano, Jason helped with skating clinics at The OhioHealth Chiller, made a Columbus media tour and met with local contributors to help raise awareness about the event.

The local organizing committee spearheaded outreach to the skating community, while regional officials, judges, coaches & skaters served on a club committee that helped promote the event at rinks throughout Ohio & the surrounding states. Local kids swept the ice for stuffies after each performance.

"I’ve never skated in front of such an awesome crowd before”

- Sarah Everhardt, U.S. Women's Pewter Medalist