A new trophy will be presented at the 2019 GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships in honor of Meryl Davis and Charlie White, the first U.S. ice dance team to win an Olympic gold medal.
Michigan natives Davis and White earned the sport's ultimate prize at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014.
The Davis and White Global Excellence Award will be presented annually based on a formula that includes placement/points at the U.S. Championships and world ranking points from designated international championship events. The senior ice dance team with the highest combined point total will receive the trophy.
The original bronze sculpture will portray the starting pose of Davis and White's free dance at the 2014 Olympic Games. Harold Linke is the sculptor; he was also commissioned to create the inaugural Peggy Fleming Trophy last year.
The trophy is being financed by private benefactors. Donations can be made to a tax-deductible fund set up by the Detroit Skating Club. The trophy will reside at the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Names will be engraved and added to the wood base each year. A token award will be given to each skater from the couple who earns the trophy.
Davis and White will present the trophy to the winners during the Skating Spectacular on the event's final day.
