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How are skaters selected for the U.S. Olympic figure-skating team?
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figure skating
Katarina Witt, competing for East Germany, became the first woman since Norway's Sonja Henie (1928, 1932, and 1936) to win consecutive Olympic gold medals, doing so in 1984 and 1988.
In the United States, the selection of the Olympic figure-skating team occurs at the national championships held during Olympic years.1
The United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) oversees this process, which is part of an intricate structure of regional and national competitions. While the specific number of skaters a country can send to the Winter Olympic Games depends on how well its athletes performed at the world championships the previous year, the final team selection for the U.S. is determined at the national level.12
Additionally, all participants must meet age eligibility requirements; as of 2024, skaters must be at least 17 years of age to compete in the Olympic Games.32