2016 PRUDENTIAL U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS COMPETITION ANNOUNCEMENT JANUARY 15‐24, 2016 Saint Paul, Minn. & Bloomington, Minn.
The 2016 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships will be held in Saint Paul, Minn. (Novice, Junior and Senior levels) and Bloomington, Minn. (Juvenile and Intermediate levels), Jan. 15‐24, 2016. The U.S. Championships are sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating and will be conducted in accordance with the rules of U.S. Figure Skating as written in the 2015/16 U.S. Figure Skating Rulebook. All events will be judged using the international judging system (IJS). OFFICIAL SCHEDULE All information for athletes, coaches and officials will be posted and updated when applicable online at www.2016uschampionships.com/athletes. Please be aware that the posted schedule is subject to change. The final schedule will be available at the accreditation room in St. Paul and posted on the arena bulletin boards. OFFICIAL VENUES Xcel Energy Center (Main) ‐ All Novice, Junior and Senior level competitions 199 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55102 The Xcel Energy Center will serve as the primary venue for the championships and will host all novice, junior and senior level competitions. Pleasant Arena (Practice) ‐ Additional surface for Novice, Junior and Senior level practices and warm‐ups 848 Pleasant Ave, St Paul, MN 55102 Bloomington Ice Garden (BIG) ‐ All Juvenile and Intermediate practices and competitions Located approximately 30 minutes from downtown St. Paul, the Bloomington Ice Garden will have a dedicated practice rink (BIG‐P) and a competition rink (BIG‐M). Both ice surfaces are NHL sized at 200’ x 85’. This venue will host all juvenile and intermediate practices and competition. HOUSING Novice, Junior and Senior Hotel Intercontinental St. Paul Hotel 11 Kellogg Blvd E, St Paul, MN 55101 All novice, junior and senior athletes, coaches and chaperones must book their hotel needs directly online at https://mmxreservations.com/bloomingtonmn/gc/2240/TCFSAIntCon Juvenile and Intermediate Hotels Intercontinental St. Paul Hotel 11 Kellogg Blvd E, St Paul, MN 55101 All juvenile and intermediate athletes, coaches and chaperones must book their hotel needs directly online at https://mmxreservations.com/bloomingtonmn/gc/2240/TCFSAIntCon Please note that a limit of 2 rooms per athlete is allowed. If there are additional rooms available after all athletes are booked we will communicate that once confirmed.
EVENT TICKETS Novice, Junior and Senior Ticketed Events ‐ Tickets for all events at Xcel Energy Center are available for sale online at www.2016uschampionships.com. Juvenile and Intermediate Ticketed Events ‐ All ticket sales for juvenile and intermediate events at Bloomington Ice Garden will be only available for sale at the arena. The arena will offer an all‐event ticket and daily ticket options. Please note the athlete, coach and chaperone accreditation will allow access to Xcel Energy Center (upper‐level seating only) but does not guarantee a lower bowl seat in the Xcel Energy Center. COMPOSITION OF EVENTS Singles Events Pairs Events Ice Dance Events Senior Ladies and Men Senior Pairs Senior Dance Junior Ladies and Men Junior Pairs Junior Dance Novice Ladies and Men Novice Pairs Novice Dance Intermediate Ladies and Men Intermediate Pairs Intermediate Dance Juvenile Girls and Boys Juvenile Pairs Juvenile Dance The pattern dances for the 2016 U.S. Figure Skating Championships are: Novice: Westminster Waltz and Kilian Intermediate: American Waltz and Foxtrot Juvenile: Hickory Hoedown and Ten‐Fox ACCREDITATION Intercontinental St. Paul Accreditation ‐ Novice, Junior and Senior Accreditation will take place in the Kellogg Meeting Room in the lobby level of the hotel. Friday, Jan. 15 2:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18 8:00 a.m. ‐ 8:00 p.m. Tuesday. Jan. 19 8:00 a.m. ‐ 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20 8:00 a.m. ‐ 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21 8:00 a.m. ‐ 6:00 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22 8:00 a.m. ‐ 12:00 p.m. Bloomington Ice Garden Accreditation Hours ‐ Juvenile and Intermediate Accreditation will take place in the arena lobby area during the following times. Thursday, Jan. 14 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. REQUIRED ACTION ITEM ‐ PROGRAM MANAGEMENT (Music and planned program content) All qualifying competitors must associate their music (SP/SD, FS/FD and Exhibition) and planned program content online using the new features available in U.S. Figure Skating’s Member’s Only area by January 1, 2016. Competitors MUST also have backup copies of their program music onsite in case of any music download issues or music changes within two weeks of the Championships. CD's in Audio CD format available at all times during the event.
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AIRPORT The Minneapolis ‐ St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is approximately 20‐30 minutes to downtown St. Paul and just 5 minutes to the Bloomington area hotels and arena. LOCAL GROUND TRANSPORTATION Airport to Hotels All athletes, coaches and chaperones are responsible for arranging their own ground transportation from the airport to the hotel on arrival and departure. More information on ground transportation originating from the airport can be located here: https://www.mspairport.com/GroundTransportation.aspx Event Shuttle System (Xcel Energy Center and downtown St. Paul) There will be a shuttle system supporting the official hotel and the official venues in St. Paul. The shuttle system schedule will be released and posted once finalized. The shuttle will begin operation on Saturday, January 16 to support the first day of official practice and end on Sunday, January 24 following the Smucker’s Skating Spectacular. The shuttle system is not available for any special requests including any ice time purchased by athletes outside of the official ice listed on the event schedule. PLEASE NOTE: There will not be an event shuttle system in Bloomington, Minn. The official hotels and arena provide for free parking. Additionally there will not be an event shuttle between the Bloomington and St. Paul arenas. CREDENTIALS The policy regarding credentials at the 2016 U.S. Championships is as follows: Coaches: Each competitor can assign the following as it relates to coach accreditation. Singles competitors ‐ maximum of two coaches accredited (one free and one at additional cost) Pairs and Dance Teams ‐ maximum of three caches can be designated (2 free and one at additional cost) To be eligible for a coach credential, the coach must be a member in good standing with U.S. Figure Skating, Professional Skaters Association as well as having successfully completed PSA CER requirements and the coach registration process at time of credentialing. These designated persons will each receive an event credential. Credentials provide access to the official bus system (if applicable), public areas of the arenas, and depending on each credential’s assigned level of access, additional access to restricted areas of the venues. Accredited individuals are required to wear their credential at all times while riding the buses or in the arena or restricted areas of the hotel. Competitors are exempt from this policy only when they are on the ice. Chaperones: Each competitor can assign the following as it relates to chaperone accreditation. Each competitor can have a maximum of two chaperones with the primary being free of charge and the secondary at an additional cost. Please note that chaperones will not be permitted to accompany their competitor to the event level/competition areas of any official venues. U.S. Figure Skating maintains this policy to ensure the protection of the rights of all competitors Application forms, accreditation policies and the U.S. Figure Skating Coaches Policy are available to download and print at www.2016uschampionships.com/athletes. The replacement charge for any lost credential is $200.
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CREDENTIALED SEATING A block of open seating has been reserved in the Xcel Energy Center for any credentialed persons interested in watching the competition throughout the week. A credential is required for seating in these sections and must be worn and visible at all times. If you are interested in guaranteed seats or lower bowl seats for any session, you are required to purchase tickets. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.2016uschampionships.com SECURITY The 2016 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships will be supported by a comprehensive security plan. Credential color and specific assigned graphic icons will determine level of access to restricted areas at both official arenas. U.S. Figure Skating will solely determine the appropriate color, access icons and expiration date for the credential of every competitor, coach, chaperone and official. Please Note: Competitor and coach credentials expire the day following the athlete’s last competition event (free skate or free dance). All credential participants will be required to wear their credential at all times. Individuals without credentials will be refused access to the shuttle buses, restricted areas of the official hotels and both the public and restricted areas of the arenas. Individuals found in any restricted area without the appropriate credential will be immediately removed from the premises, and risk losing their credential and all its privileges for the duration of the Championships. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS to this and all U.S. Figure Skating security policies. PRACTICE ICE Please note that at the 2016 U.S. Championships there is no unofficial practice ice for sale for any level of competitor. If you wish to purchase ice outside what is provided on the published schedule you must do so on your own and directly with a local facility. ANTI DOPING The United States Anti‐Doping Agency (USADA) will conduct in‐competition drug testing for all senior level events only. Drug testing will be conducted at the Xcel Energy Center following the free skate for each senior competition. Testing will be performed on the top four (4) place‐winners at the senior level, as well as one random entry per discipline at the senior level. Following the completion of each senior event, and before leaving the arena, each competitor in that event must check at the USADA testing room for the list of skaters selected for testing. Any competitor who is in a Registered Testing Pool for USADA or the International Skating Union (ISU) may be tested at ANY time during the competition, including immediately following a practice session. All testing will adhere to the protocols and guidelines established by USADA and the International Skating Union (ISU). Detection of any prohibited substances will lead to penalties or sanctions as determined by the ISU. Questions regarding prohibited substances, drug testing or the safety of any particular medication, drug or dietary supplement should be directed to the USADA at www.usada.org or (800) 233‐0393. BULLETINS Official communications or updates for the 2016 U.S. Figure Skating Championships will be posted on the official information boards in each venue and at the official hotels. Bulletin boards will be regularly posted with updated schedules, event results and all official notifications. It is the sole responsibility of the competitors to check these information boards daily for any official notices and updates. SKATER SERVICES Skate sharpening and skate repair services will not be available onsite. Information will be included at registration for these services in the community.
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VIDEO SERVICES U.S. Figure Skating is the official videographer for the 2016 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships. U.S. Figure Skating is the only authorized provider of video sales of individual performances from the Championships. No other arrangements may be made for recording of any of the performances. The entire competition will be recorded. Videotaping or other recording of performances by individuals will not be permitted. All orders for the 2016 U.S. Figure Skating Championships must be placed online at http://usfigureskatingvideos.com/ AWARDS U.S. Figure Skating Championship trophies will be awarded to the winners of each event. U.S. Figure Skating medals will be awarded to competitors placing first through fourth in each event. Please refer to the schedule for the exact time for each event’s awards ceremony. DRAWS The initial draw for each event will take place according to a schedule posted on the official information boards. Subsequent draws will be conducted within 15 minutes following the conclusion of the competitive event just skated. Each of the draws for the 2016 U.S. Figure Skating Championships will be conducted in accordance with the 2015‐16 U.S. Figure Skating Rulebook and by the specific event’s referee and accountant. SMUCKERS SKATING SPECTACULAR The Smucker’s Skating Spectacular will be held on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016. The top four place‐winners in senior events as well as the novice and junior champions in each discipline are invited to participate. All competitors should come prepared with exhibition music and costumes. Practice ice is listed on the event schedule. Medalists and their coaches will receive a day pass credential for Sunday admission to the arena, a practice schedule and all other additional information at the awards ceremony for their event. GENERAL INFORMATION Questions regarding the 2016 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships can be directed to Bob Dunlop, Senior Director, Events at
[email protected] and/or Peggy Graham Phillips, 2016 U.S. Championships Chief Referee at
[email protected]
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