1961 United States Figure Skating Championships
| 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships | |
|---|---|
| Type: | National Championship |
| Date: | January 25 – 29 |
| Season: | 1960–61 |
| Location: | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Previous: 1960 U.S. Championships |
|
| Next: 1962 U.S. Championships |
|
The 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships was an event organized by U.S. Figure Skating to determine the U.S. national champions and the U.S. team for the 1961 World Championships. Medals were awarded in three colors: gold (first), silver (second), and bronze (third) in four disciplines – men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing – across three levels: senior, junior, and novice. The event was held at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from January 25 to 29, 1961. The competition was dedicated to the memory of Howard D. Herbert, president of the United States Figure Skating Association, who had died suddenly just a few days before the competition opened.
The event is noted especially for its catastrophic aftermath, in which most of the U.S. team died in the crash of Sabena Flight 548 on their way to the World Championships in Prague. Because many of the top American figure skaters (including Carol Heiss and David Jenkins) had retired from the sport after the 1960 Winter Olympics, new champions were crowned in all four disciplines.
The men's competition was won by Bradley Lord, likewise in a come-from-behind victory in the free skating after having been second to Gregory Kelley in the compulsory figures. In the ladies' event, Stephanie Westerfeld had a narrow lead over Laurence Owen after the compulsory figures and performed well enough in the free skating that she might have won the competition. However, Owen followed with a superior effort in the free skate and won the title on a 4-1 split of the first-place ordinals. Maribel Owen / Dudley Richards, the silver medalists from the previous year, were the clear winners of the pairs event, while Diane Sherbloom / Larry Pierce—skating in their first season together—took the ice dance championship.
...
Wikipedia