This year, U.S. Figure Skating is celebrating its centennial anniversary as it recognizes those members, clubs and fans who have given so much to U.S. Figure Skating over the past 100 years. This page honors the top athletes of the 2000s whose competitive achievements defined the decade. Learn more about the athletes from the last 100 years below, and check out the Centennial Celebration section of our website for more content.
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The 2000's – The rise of U.S. ice dance
Michelle Kwan
Kwan is the most decorated American figure skater of all time. She holds the record for most U.S. ladies titles (nine, tied with Maribel Vinson Owen), most World titles (five, tied with Carol Heiss and Dick Button) and most World medals. Among her many awards, Kwan became the first figure skater since Dick Button in 1949 to receive the James E. Sullivan Award, given to America’s best amateur athlete. She is a two-time Olympic medalist.
Olympic silver medalist – 1998
Olympic bronze medalist – 2002
Olympian – 1998, 2002
World champion – 1996, ’98, 2000, ’01, ’03
World silver medalist – 1997, ’99, 2002
World bronze medalist – 2004
World Junior champion – 1994
Grand Prix Final silver medalist – 1996, ’99, 2000, ’01
U.S. champion – 1996, ’98, ’99, 2000, ’01, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05
Sarah Hughes
Hughes shocked the world in 2002 when she stood at the top of the Olympic podium at the Games in Salt Lake City. Fourth after the short program, she delivered a stunning free skate with seven triple jumps, two in combination, to vault to the top of the leaderboard. Hughes also won the 2001 World bronze medal.
Olympic champion – 2002
Olympian – 2002
World bronze medalist – 2001
World Junior silver medalist – 1999
Grand Prix Final bronze medalist – 2000, ’01
Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist – 1998
Kimmie Meissner
Meissner won the World title in 2006 before claiming the Four Continents and U.S. titles in 2007. She was the youngest American athlete (16) at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy, where she placed sixth. Meissner was the second U.S. woman to land a triple Axel in competition.
Olympian – 2006
World champion – 2006
World Junior silver medalist – 2004
Four Continents champion – 2007
U.S. champion - 2007
Sasha Cohen
Cohen is a two-time Olympian and three-time World medalist. In 2006, she was crowned U.S. ladies champion and took home the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. Known for her artistry, flexibility and body lines, and musical interpretation, Cohen is the most recent U.S. woman to medal individually at the Olympics. She won the Grand Prix Final title in 2003.
Olympic silver medalist – 2006
Olympian – 2002, ‘06
World silver medalist – 2004, ’05
World bronze medalist – 2006
Grand Prix Final champion – 2003
Grand Prix Final silver medalist – 2004
U.S. champion – 2006
Todd Eldredge
With six U.S. titles over a 12-year period, Eldredge enjoyed a successful career that spanned the full decade. The two-time Olympian won the coveted World title in 1996, adding to his collection six World medals. His two World bronze medals were won 10 years apart (1991, 2001).
Olympian – 1998, 2002
World champion – 1996
World silver medalist – 1995, ’97, ’98
World bronze medalist – 1991, 2001
World Junior champion – 1988
World Junior silver medalist – 1987
Grand Prix Final silver medalist – 1997
Grand Prix Final bronze medalist – 1998
U.S. champion – 1990, ’91, ’95, ’97, ’98, 2002
Timothy Goebel
Goebel earned the nickname the “Quad King” when he became the first American to successfully land a quadruple jump and the first skater ever to land a quadruple Salchow in competition. He is also the first person to ever land a quad Salchow-triple toe loop combination and the first to land three different quad jumps in a single program. Adding to his long list of records, he is also the first American to win a Junior Grand Prix title. Goebel is the 2002 Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time World medalist and the 2001 U.S. men’s champion.
Olympic bronze medalist – 2002
Olympian – 2002
World silver medalist – 2002, ’03
World Junior silver medalist – 1997
Grand Prix Final bronze medalist – 2000, ’02
Junior Grand Prix Final champion – 1997
U.S. Champion – 2001
Evan Lysacek
Lysacek was the most decorated U.S. men’s skater in the 2000s, earning medals at major ISU Championship events at the junior and senior levels. Lysacek collected three World medals in the last half of the decade, claiming the top spot in 2009. He capped his successful career with gold at the Olympic Winter Games 2010 Vancouver. He is the only U.S. singles athlete to win every major modern-day title at the senior level – Olympic, World, Four Continents, Grand Prix Final and U.S.
Olympic champion – 2010
Olympian – 2006, ’10
World champion – 2009
World bronze medalist – 2005, ’06
World Junior silver medalist – 2001, ’03, ’04
Four Continents champion – 2005, ’07
Four Continents silver medalist – 2009
Four Continents bronze medalist – 2008
Grand Prix Final champion – 2009
Grand Prix Final bronze medalist – 2007
Junior Grand Prix Final champion – 2004
U.S. champion – 2007, ’08
Jeremy Abbott
Abbott cemented himself at the top of U.S. men’s skating in 2009 when he defeated most recent champions Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek at the U.S. Championships in Cleveland. He went on to win four U.S. titles in the 2000s and 2010s, and made two Olympic appearances. Abbott also became the first U.S. man to win the Grand Prix Final in 2009.
Olympic bronze medalist (Team Event) – 2014
Olympian – 2010, ’14
Four Continents bronze medalist – 2007, ’11
Grand Prix Final champion – 2009
U.S. champion – 2009, ’10, ’12, ’14
Kyoko Ina
Ina claimed five U.S. titles with two different partners — Jason Dungjen and John Zimmerman. With Zimmerman, she also collected a World bronze medal in 2002. She is a three-time Olympian
Olympian – 1994 (with Dungjen), 1998 (with Dungjen), 2002 (with Zimmerman)
World bronze medalist (with Zimmerman) – 2002
U.S. champion (with Dungjen) – 1997, ’98
U.S. champion (with Zimmerman) – 2000, ’01, ’02
Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev
Lang and Tchernyshev followed Punsalan and Swallow by winning five consecutive U.S. titles of their own from 1999 to 2003. They also were two-time Four Continents champions and 2002 Olympians. Lang was the first Native American athlete to participate in the Winter Olympics.
Olympians – 2002
Four Continents champions – 2000, ’02
U.S. champions – 1999, 2000, ’01, ’02, ’03
Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto
Belbin and Agosto brought U.S. ice dancers back into the world conversation. The duo dominated the junior circuit, winning the World Junior title in 2002, and went on to collect four World medals as seniors. At the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, they earned the silver medal, marking the first Olympic ice dance medal for the U.S. in 30 years. They are five-time U.S. champions. Belbin is now an ice dance commentator for NBC and is married to Olympic champion Charlie White.
Olympic silver medalists – 2006
Olympians – 2006, ’10
World silver medalists – 2005, ’09
World bronze medalists – 2006, ’07
World Junior champions – 2002
World Junior silver medalists – 2001
World Junior bronze medalists – 2000
Four Continents champions – 2004, ’05, ’06
Four Continents silver medalists – 2002, ’03, ’07
Grand Prix Final silver medalists – 2005, ’08
Grand Prix Final bronze medalists – 2004
Junior Grand Prix Final champions – 2001
U.S. champions – 2004, ’05, ’06, ’07, ’08
Meryl Davis and Charlie White
Davis and White are the most decorated U.S. ice dance team of all time. They were the first American team to win Olympic (2014) and World (2010, ’14) ice dance titles and hold the record for the most U.S. titles in ice dance (six). They are also the only U.S. team to have claimed the Olympic, World, Four Continents, Grand Prix Final and U.S. titles, and hold the record for the most Grand Prix Final wins with five consecutive from 2009 to 2013.
Olympic champions – 2014
Olympic silver medalists – 2010
Olympic bronze medalists (team event) – 2014
Olympians – 2010, ’14
World champions – 2011, ’13
World silver medalists – 2010, ’12
Four Continents champions – 2009, ’11, ’13
Four Continents silver medalists – 2008, ’12
Grand Prix Final champions – 2009, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13
Grand Prix Final bronze medalists – 2008
U.S. champions – 2009, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13 ,’14
Haydenettes
The Haydenettes won their first of a whopping 28 U.S. titles (to date) in 1988. In the 1990s, the team collected seven of the 10 possible U.S. titles. The team, based out of the Boston area, has won five World bronze medals and went undefeated at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in the 2010s.
World bronze medalists – 2010, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’16
U.S. champions – 1988, ’89, ’91, ’92, ’93, ’94, ’96, ’97, ’98, 2000, ’01, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05, ’07, ’08, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’16, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20
Other U.S. World medalists in the 2000s
Men
Michael Weiss – 2000, bronze
Johnny Weir – 2008, bronze
Other Grand Prix Final medalists in the 2000s
Men
Matt Savoie – 2000, bronze
Michael Weiss – 2003, bronze
Johnny Weir – 2008, bronze; ’09, bronze
Other Four Continents medalists in the 2000s
Ladies
Angela Nikodinov – 2000, gold; ’01, silver
Stacy Pensgen – 2000, silver
Jennifer Kirk – 2002, gold; ’05, bronze
Amber Corwin – 2004, bronze
Katy Taylor – 2006, gold
Bebe Liang – 2006, bronze
Emily Hughes – 2007, silver
Men
Michael Weiss – 2001, bronze
Matt Savoie – 2006, bronze
Pairs
Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn – 2000, bronze
Katie Orscher and Garrett Lucash – 2005, bronze
Rena Inoue and John Baldwin – 2006, gold; ’07, bronze
Brooke Castile and Ben Okolski – 2008, bronze
Ice Dance
Jamie Silverstein and Justin Pekarek – 2000, bronze
Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov – 2005, silver
Lydia Manon and Ryan O’Meara – 2005, bronze
Morgan Matthews and Maxim Zavozin – 2006, silver
Kimberly Navarro and Brent Bommentre – 2008, bronze
Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates – 2009, bronze
Other U.S. champions in the 2000s
Ladies
Mirai Nagasu – 2008
Alissa Czisny – 2009
Men
Michael Weiss – 2000, ’03
Johnny Weir – 2004, ’05, ’06
Pairs
Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn – 2003
Rena Inoue and John Baldwin – 2006
Brooke Castile and Ben Okoski – 2007
Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker – 2008, ’09
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