2015 PRUDENTIAL U.S. FIGURE SkatinG ChampiOnShipS
When: Jan. 17–25 Where: Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum tickets:
www.northcarolina2015.com tV: NBC will air 8 hours of live coverage icenetwork: Live and on-demand coverage for Season Pass subscribers
Success in Greensboro first step for Olympic hopefuls by KEITH RYAN CARTWRIGHT
Four years ago Jason Brown made his senior debut at the
2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro, N.C. Te then-16-year-old didn’t win a medal, but he still
made quite an impression. Brown received a standing ova- tion, finishing ninth in what was the first year of that Olympic quadrennium. He used the event as a stepping stone to secure an Olympic berth in Sochi, Russia, where earlier this year he won a bronze medal in the inaugural team event and finished in the top 10 in the men’s competition. Brown returns to Greensboro next month for the 2015 Pru-
dential U.S. Figure Skating Championships at the recently reno- vated Greensboro Coliseum. “He became a skater to watch,” said Paul Wylie, the 1992
Olympic silver medalist, who will once again serve as the hon- orary chairman of the event in Greensboro. “Tat was a really important performance and those are going to happen in every event. Tere are going to be important moments like that.” Brown, who turns 20 on Dec. 15, is now about to em-
bark on the next Olympic quadrennium. He’ll share the start of that journey in Greensboro with other stars of the sport, such as Jeremy Abbott, Max Aaron, Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner, Po- lina Edmunds, Mirai Nagasu, Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knier- im, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, and Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, among many others. Tere also will be a crop of young as-yet-unknown hopefuls in Tar Heels country, who will rise much as Brown did four years ago. “It’s going to be the start for all those guys to head back
to the next Games in Korea,” said Hill Carrow, chairman of the 2015 U.S. Championships. “Athletes are setting themselves up this season to march
up the ladder over the next four years,” Wylie added. “What I think is exciting is to see some of the young athletes, especially the girls in this sport. Tey tend to start now at 14, 15 in either juniors or their first year in seniors and you will discover some-
Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin, 2011 U.S. pairs champions
one. You’ll watch them at nationals and they might be just 15 and that will be the person who will win nationals in 2018 and go to the Olympics as sort of the top hopeful. You just never know. Tat’s what happened with Jason Brown.” On the ice in 2011, Ryan Bradley, Alissa Czisny, Cait-
lin Yankowskas and John Coughlin (pairs) and Meryl Da- vis and Charlie White (ice dance) emerged with U.S. titles. Off the ice, Greensboro’s first foray into hosting a major skating event proved to be a big success. It was the first time in the event’s then-nearly-100-year history that a host city was able to accom- modate all three major event components — competition arena, secondary rink and FanFest — under one roof. At the time, it was considered unique and afterward widely
praised.
Tis time around, it is no surprise Carrow has promised athletes, coaches and fans alike an enhanced version of the 2011 event. He has worked diligently with U.S. Figure Skating offi- cials to schedule everything at the Coliseum, including the ad- dition of juvenile and intermediate championship events. It makes for one of the most convenient competitions for
all involved, especially the skaters, who are spared valuable time shuttling between the practice rink and competition, as well as appearances at the popular FanFest. “Last time, there was great feedback from the most im-
portant people,” Wylie said. “Athletes were extremely laudatory about it,” said Carrow,
of creating a schedule that is free of the transient feel. “Tat’s the most important critic right there and we got an overwhelming response from them.” Te Greensboro Coliseum recently underwent a $25 mil-
lion renovation. “It’s practically a new venue,” Carrow said.
Enhancements and improvements include widening of all Ryan Bradley, 2011 U.S. men’s champion
28 DECEMBER 2014
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