Schedule Released for 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships

(9/15/09) - The official event schedule for the 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which will transform the Spokane Arena into the nation's liveliest and most exciting sporting venue in exactly four months, was released today. The hopes and dreams of America's best skaters will hinge on their performance at the event as they vie for a U.S. title and the ultimate prize - selection to the U.S. figure skating team that will compete 18 days later in Vancouver.

"It's only fitting that the people who helped make the 2007 U.S. Championships the amazing success that it was, and have purchased their same seats to see the 2010 U.S. Championships, are rewarded with the opportunity to see the senior men's competition the very first day," said Toby Steward, president of Star USA and chairman of the 2010 U.S. Championships. "We'd like to thank Larry Kriwanek, our chief referee, for his tireless work in creating a schedule that accommodated the unique needs of the athletes during this Olympic year."

With the 2010 Olympic Winter Games beginning in Vancouver just 18 days after the completion of the 2010 U.S. Championships, the U.S. Championships event schedule has been adjusted to provide approximately a four-week training period from the end of each senior-level event to the start of the same event in the Olympic schedule. Therefore, all the senior events will take place over two weekends, with senior-level men's and pairs the first weekend, and senior-level ladies and ice dancing the second weekend.

Date	Event(s)
Friday, Jan. 15	Junior men's short program, senior pairs short program, senior men's short program
Saturday, Jan. 16	Senior pairs free skate (live on NBC), junior pairs short program
Sunday, Jan. 17	Senior men's free skate (live on NBC), novice men's short program, novice pairs short program, junior men's free skate
Monday, Jan. 18	Novice ladies short program, novice pairs free skate, novice men's free skate, junior pairs free skate
Tuesday, Jan. 19	Novice compulsory dance, novice ladies free skate, junior compulsory dance
Wednesday, Jan. 20	Novice free dance, junior ladies short program, junior original dance
Thursday, Jan. 21	Senior compulsory dance, junior free dance, senior ladies short program
Friday, Jan. 22	Junior ladies free skate, senior original dance
Saturday, Jan. 23	Senior free dance (live on NBC), senior ladies free skate (live on NBC)
Sunday, Jan. 24	Smucker's Skating Spectacular

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held annually since 1914, is the nation's most prestigious figure skating event. The 2010 competition will take place Jan. 14-24 at the Spokane Arena in Spokane and be nationally televised live on NBC and webcast on icenetwork.com. Over the course of nine days, the event will crown 12 national champions in ladies, men's, pairs and ice dancing on the senior, junior and novice levels. The 2010 U.S. Championships are the final event before the selection of the figure skating team that will compete for the United States 18 days later in Vancouver.

Tickets for the 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships are currently on sale and are available by calling 888.SK8.2010, visiting the Spokane Arena box office, or online at www.spokane2010.com.