The U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships are an annual figure skating competition organized by U.S. Figure Skating to crown the junior-level national champions of the United States. Medals are awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. The first U.S. Championships for junior-level skaters were held in 1918 in New York City, and featured the men's and women's events. Skaters may qualify for the national championships by competing at either the Pacific Coast Sectional Finals, Eastern Sectional Finals, Midwestern Sectional Finals, U.S. Ice Dance Finals, or U.S. Pairs Finals. The results of the competition are among the criteria used to determine the American teams to the World Junior Championships. They have been held without interruption since 1920.
Beginning with the 1988 U.S. Championships, pewter medals have been awarded to the fourth-place finishers in each event. Compulsory figures, which had been a required element of men's and women's single skating since the championships began, were retired after the 1990 U.S. Championships, although they continued as a separate event for men and women from 1991 to 1999, when they were retired altogether.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 U.S. Championships were still held, albeit in a sealed arena with no live audience present. The sound of an audience was piped into the arena, seats were filled with fan cutouts, and the athletes' friends and families could be seen cheering them on via strategically-placed monitors.
Three days after the 2025 U.S. Championships, a group of twenty-eight skaters, coaches, and family members flying to Washington, D.C., were killed when their airplane collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River. Coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, the parents of U.S. skater Maxim Naumov, who had just won the pewter medal in the senior men's event, were among those killed.
The 2027 U.S. Championships are scheduled to be held from January 5 to 10 at the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Qualification Beginning with the 2022–23 season, skaters qualify for the U.S. Championships by competing in the National Qualifying Series (NQS), a series of regional competitions running from mid-July to early October. Skaters compete in one of three sections (Pacific Coast, Midwestern, or Eastern) based on geographic location. The highest-placed skaters and teams across all competitions advance to the NQS finals (Pacific Coast Sectional Finals, Eastern Sectional Finals, Midwestern Sectional Finals, U.S. Ice Dance Finals, or U.S. Pairs Finals). The top juvenile, intermediate, and novice skaters are invited to the National High Performance Development Camp, while junior and senior skaters advance to the U.S. Championships. Athletes may also receive a bye to the NQS finals by being assigned to and competing at an international assignment from an approved list.
Advancement to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships: Single skating: 18 spots available Athletes receiving a bye Top two from each section, plus the next best scores nationwide until the maximum number of entrants is met Pair skating: 12 spots available Athletes receiving a bye Next best scores from the NQS Finals until the maximum number of entrants is met Ice dance: 15 spots available Athletes receiving a bye Next best scores from the NQS Finals until the maximum number of entrants is met
Skaters can earn the right at the U.S. Championships without qualifying through a sectional championship by accomplishing any of the following: Placing in the top five in their respective discipline at the previous U.S. Championships at the senior level Selection to the previous year's World Championship team Winning a medal at any Winter Olympic Games (excluding the team event) Qualifying for the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final or Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final Competing at three international competitions from an approved list
Medalists Men's singles +Junior men's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze Pewter 1918 New York City Sherwin Badger Emil Fuchs No other competitors 1919 No competition held 1920 New York City Oscar Richard Charles Wyman Emil Fuchs No pewter medals awarded 1921 Philadelphia George Greenslee Raymond Harvey Einar Josephson & Charles McCarthy (tied) 1922 Boston Louis Van Washburn Charles Wyman Charles Rotch 1923 New Haven George Braakman Heaton Robertson 1924 Philadelphia Egbert Carey Jr. 1925 New York City Ferrier Martin Joseph Savage 1926 Boston Roger Turner 1927 New York City Frederick Goodridge Gail Borden II Roy Shipstad 1928 New Haven J. Lester Madden George Hill 1929 New York City George Hill Joseph Savage William Nagle 1930 Providence Gail Borden II Heaton Robertson Robert Rothman 1931 Boston Joseph Savage Lyman Wakefield Robin Lee 1932 New York City Robin Lee Bruce Mapes George Boltres 1933 New Haven William Swallender Lyman Wakefield 1934 Philadelphia George Boltres Wilfred MacDonald Richard Hapgood 1935 New Haven Erie Relter Bruce Mapes Ollie Haupt Jr. 1936 New York City Bernard Fox Ollie Haupt Jr. Eugene Reichel 1937 Chicago Ollie Haupt Jr. Eugene Turner 1938 Philadelphia Eugene Turner Leonard Brennan Edward Berkson 1939 Saint Paul Arthur Vaughn Jr. Arthur Preusch Jr. Bud Brennan 1940 Cleveland Bobby Specht Murray Galbraith Sheldon Galbraith 1941 Boston William Grimditch Jr. Arthur Preusch Jr. Edward LeMaire 1942 Chicago Walter Sahlin Edward LeMaire Robert Premer 1943 New York City Edward LeMaire Marcus Nelson James Lochead Jr. 1944 Minneapolis James Lochead Jr. Michael McGean Robert Swenning 1945 New York City Richard Button 1946 Chicago John Lettengarver Charles Brinkman 1947 Berkeley Robert Swenning Dudley Richards Charles Brinkman 1948 Colorado Springs Hayes Alan Jenkins Walter Bainbridge Jr. Donald Jacoby 1949 Richard Dwyer Donald Jacoby Dudley Richards 1950 Washington, D.C. Donald Laws Barry Gorman Evy Scotvold II 1951 Seattle Dudley Richards Evy Scotvold II David Jenkins 1952 Colorado Springs Ronald Robertson Armando Rodriguez 1953 Hershey David Jenkins William Nick Tim Brown 1954 Los Angeles Tim Brown Raymond Blommer William Nick 1955 Colorado Springs Tom Moore Robert Lee Brewer Barlow Nelson 1956 Philadelphia Robert Lee Brewer Barlow Nelson Bradley Lord 1957 Berkeley Bradley Lord James Short Lorin Caccamise 1958 Minneapolis James Short Gregory Kelley 1959 Rochester Gregory Kelley Don Mike Anthony Frank Carroll 1960 Seattle Douglas Ramsay Bruce Heiss 1961 Colorado Springs Monty Hoyt Scott Allen David Edwards 1962 Boston Thomas Litz Gary Visconti Buddy Zack 1963 Long Beach Billy Chapel Richard Callaghan Tim Wood 1964 Cleveland Tim Wood Duane Maki Richard Callaghan 1965 Lake Placid Paul McGrath Robert Black Ron Frank 1966 Berkeley John Misha Petkevich James Disbrow W. Patrick Lalor 1967 Omaha Roger Bass Gordon McKellen Torrey Sun 1968 Philadelphia Kenneth Shelley Richard Inglesi John Baldwin 1969 Seattle John Baldwin Doug Berndt Kenneth Class 1970 Tulsa Richard Ewell III Jimmy Demogines Mahlon Bradley 1971 Buffalo David Santee Mahlon Bradley Scott Cramer 1972 Long Beach Terry Kubicka Scott Cramer John Carlow 1973 Minneapolis John Carlow Jr. Bill Schneider 1974 Providence Randy Gardner Ken Newfield Perry Jewell 1975 Oakland Tim Zink Perry Jewell Scott Sherman 1976 Colorado Springs Scott Hamilton Mark Cockerell Dave Kinser 1977 Hartford Robert Wagenhoffer Reggie Stanley Reggie Raiford 1978 Portland Brian Boitano Patrick Hughes James Santee 1979 Cincinnati James Santee Bobby Beauchamp Stuart Bailey 1980 Atlanta Tom Dickson Paul Wylie Jim White 1981 San Diego Paul Wylie John Filbig James Cygan 1982 Indianapolis James Cygan Daniel Doran Christopher Bowman 1983 Pittsburgh Christopher Bowman Angelo D'Agostino Daniel Doran 1984 Salt Lake City William Lawe Winfrid Mayer Doug Mattis 1985 Kansas City Doug Mattis Erik Larson Rudy Galindo 1986 Uniondale Mark Mitchell 1987 Tacoma Todd Eldredge Patrick Brault Craig Heath 1988 Denver Christopher Mitchell Aren Nielsen Cameron Birky Shepherd Clark 1989 Baltimore Shepherd Clark Colin Vander Veen John Baldwin Jr. Scott Davis 1990 Salt Lake City Scott Davis Michael Chack Steven B. Smith 1991 Minneapolis Damon Allen John Baldwin Jr. Ryan Hunka 1992 Orlando Ryan Hunka Daniel Hollander John Baldwin Jr. John Bevan 1993 Phoenix Michael Weiss Matthew Kessinger John Bevan Clifford Retamar 1994 Detroit Jere Michael Jason Sylvia Matthew Kessinger 1995 Providence Matthew Kessinger Trifun Zivanovic Ryan Jahnke Derrick Delmore 1996 San Jose Timothy Goebel Jeff Merica Justin Dillon 1997 Nashville Matt Savoie Justin Dillon Michael Edgren Kurt Fromknecht 1998 Philadelphia Scott Smith Braden Overett Kurt Fromknecht Daniel Lee 1999 Salt Lake City Ryan Bradley Don Baldwin Parker Pennington Johnny Weir 2000 Cleveland Evan Lysacek Parker Pennington Benjamin Miller Daniel Lee 2001 Boston Parker Pennington Benjamin Miller Michael Villarreal Shaun Rogers 2002 Los Angeles Nicholas LaRoche Shaun Rogers Benjamin Miller Matthew Lind 2003 Dallas Dennis Phan Jordan Brauninger Adam Aronowitz Christopher Toland 2004 Atlanta Christopher Toland Jason Wong Wesley Campbell Tommy Steenberg 2005 Portland Jeremy Abbott Craig Ratterree Michael Peters Douglas Razzano 2006 St. Louis Stephen Carriere Jonathan Trinh Geoffry Varner Daisuke Murakami 2007 Spokane Eliot Halverson Brandon Mroz Austin Kanallakan Curran Oi 2008 Saint Paul Adam Rippon Andrew Gonzales Richard Dornbush 2009 Cleveland Ross Miner Keegan Messing Alexander Johnson Grant Hochstein 2010 Spokane Jason Brown Joshua Farris Max Aaron Scott Dyer 2011 Greensboro Max Aaron Alexander Zahradnicek Alexander Aiken Steven Evans 2012 San Jose Nathan Chen Timothy Dolensky Philip Warren Harrison Choate 2013 Omaha Vincent Zhou Shotaro Omori Nathan Chen Jimmy Ma 2014 Boston Nathan Chen Jordan Moeller Jimmy Ma Chase Belmontes 2015 Greensboro Andrew Torgashev Kevin Shum Paolo Borromeo Alexei Krasnozhon 2016 Saint Paul Tomoki Hiwatashi Alexei Krasnozhon Paolo Borromeo 2017 Kansas City Alexei Krasnozhon Camden Pulkinen Ryan Dunk Eric Sjoberg 2018 San Jose Camden Pulkinen Dinh Tran Maxim Naumov Ryan Dunk 2019 Detroit Ryan Dunk Joonsoo Kim Peter Liu 2020 Greensboro Maxim Naumov Eric Sjoberg Liam Kapeikis Lucas Altieri 2021 Las Vegas Eric Prober Joseph Klein Samuel Mindra Jacob Sanchez 2022 Nashville Kai Kovar Will Annis Maxim Zharkov Joseph Klein 2023 San Jose Lucas Broussard Jacob Sanchez Robert Yampolsky Daniil Murzin 2024 Columbus Lucius Kazanecki Taira Shinohara Aleksandr Fegan Beck Strommer 2025 Wichita Lorenzo Elano Aleksandr Fegan Patrick Blackwell Kirk Haugeto 2026 St. Louis Patrick Blackwell Caleb Farrington Louis Mallane Nicholas Brooks
Women's singles