Detroit is in the early stages of a revival, with new construction underway both downtown and in the surrounding neighborhood district. One of the main hubs of this exciting urban transformation is Little Caesars Arena, where the best figure skaters in the country will battle for titles Jan. 18-27 at the GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Home to the NBA Detroit Pistons and NHL Detroit Red Wings, Little Caesars Arena opened on Sept. 5, 2017, and is regarded as one of the nation's premier sports and entertainment venues. Championship- and junior-level competition will take place there, with the juvenile, intermediate and novice skaters competing a short drive away at the Detroit Skating Club.
Less than a year removed from the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the country's top skaters will begin a new quadrennium in the Motor City. For many, their goal in Detroit will be to insert themselves into the Olympic conversation with strong and captivating performances.
They will hope to generate the same excitement and memorable moments as their predecessors did the last time the U.S. Championships were held in Detroit in 1994 — except, of course, for the drama that played out off the ice between Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan.
Detroit, a skating hotbed with many former U.S., World and Olympic champions calling it home, will serve as one of the main qualifying events for the upcoming World Championships, Four Continents Championships and World Junior Championships.
For those who don't' have a ticket to U.S. Figure Skating's marquee event, NBC, NBC Sports Network, NBC Gold and U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone will provide live and on-demand coverage of the entire competition. Check your local listings.
Here's a look at what this competition holds in store for you.
Tennell Looks Strong, But Challengers Abound
Bradie Tennell arrives in Detroit well-tested. The defending champion overcame disappointing short programs at Skate America and Internationaux de France to place fourth and third, respectively, at her Grand Prix events. She was even better on the Challenger Series, winning gold at
Autumn Classic International and
Golden Spin of Zagreb.
The skater added a challenging new combination, triple Lutz-triple loop, to her arsenal, and scored high marks for it at her most recent event in Zagreb, Croatia.
"I never want to plateau," Tennell said.
"[I want to] up the technical aspect of my programs as well as the artistry. I think that always striving to be better is a really big part of sportsmanship and something I pride myself on."
Tennell's
biggest goal this season, though, is improving her performance quality. Working with choreographer Benoit Richaud, she's added drama and touches of edgy elegance to her programs, including a free skate to a
Romeo and Juliet medley.
"It's really easy to look down at the ice or not finish a hand or arm movement," she said. "I've really been working on my artistry and captivating the audience with my performance, and I'm proud of the programs that I have this year. I think they're really exciting to watch."
Tennell is by no means a shoo-in. Although inconsistent, the charismatic
Mariah Bell has shown flashes of brilliance this season, winning fans with
the musicality and joyous expression of her programs, choreographed by
Adam Rippon and Rohene Ward. Bell thinks her April 2016 move to California to train under Rafael Arutunian is finally paying dividends.
"I definitely feel more trained this year," she said. "The thing with Raf is, he has a particular technique, and you spend a year learning how to speak his language. So first you have to understand it and only then can you start to apply it."
Tennell and Bell will be challenged by 13-year-old
Alysa Liu, who stunned with a near-perfect free skate at the 2019 Pacific Coast Sectional Figure Skating Championships. The 2018 U.S. junior champion is jumping up to the senior ranks in Detroit, although she is still too young to be considered for the World or Four Continents Teams.
Ting Cui, third in juniors last season, impressed by
winning silver at Tallinn Trophy in Estonia in early December.
For more information and tickets, visit the event website here. Read the full championship competition preview in the January issue of SKATING magazine.
