"This is now our reference point for what success looks like."
- Tracy Marek, CEO, U.S. Figure Skating
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 | Timeline | Media Clips
Hosting for the first time, Columbus set personal bests in areas you can't score. Sports ETA named it the Event Marketing Campaign of the Year. The long-term impact of this event will increase over time. For now, here are the results that put our city on the podium.
ATTENDEES, THE MOST SINCE 2018
ESTIMATED DIRECT VISITOR SPEND
ESTIMATED MEDIA REACH
IN TV TIME PERIOD ON FRIDAY & SATURDAY
VOLUNTEER SHIFTS FILLED
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
