2010 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships Starting Orders, Results, and Articles

http://www.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2010/64740/results.html

Below is icenetwork's live streaming video schedule as well as NBC and Universal Sports' (Channel 162 where I am in NYC) schedule. Please note that all times are Eastern.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15

Junior men’s short program (11:45 a.m. on icenetwork)
Championship pairs short program (4:30 p.m. on icenetwork)
Opening Ceremony & Championship men’s short program (9:45 p.m. on icenetwork)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16

Junior pairs short program (10:30 p.m. on icenetwork)
NBC will air live the championship pairs free skate and portions of the men's short program from 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. (Universal Sports will re-air from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 17

NBC will air live the men's free skate from 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. (Universal Sports will re-air from 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.)
Novice men’s short program (6:30 p.m. on icenetwork)
Novice pairs short program (8:30 p.m. on icenetwork)
Junior men’s free skate (12 midnight on icenetwork)

MONDAY, JANUARY 18

Novice ladies short program (3:00 p.m. on icenetwork)
Novice pairs free skate (5:00 p.m. on icenetwork)
Novice men’s free skate (9:45 p.m. icenetwork)
Junior pairs free skate (11:45 p.m. on icenetwork)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19

Novice compulsory dance (11:15 a.m. on icenetwork)
Novice ladies free skate (2:00 p.m. on icenetwork)
Junior compulsory dance(10:45 p.m. on icenetwork)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20

Novice free dance (1:00 p.m. on icenetwork)
Junior ladies short program (6:45 p.m. on icenetwork)
Junior original dance (10:45 p.m. on icenetwork)

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

Championship compulsory dance (1:30 p.m. on icenetwork)
Junior free dance (6:45 p.m. on icenetwork)
Championship ladies short program & Hall of Fame Ceremony (10:30 p.m. on icenetwork)
Universal Sports will air live the championship ladies short program from 12:30 a.m. - 2:30 a.m.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22

Junior ladies free skate (1:00 p.m. on icenetwork)
Championship original dance (9:00 p.m. on icenetwork)
Universal Sports will air live the championship original dance from 11:00 p.m. - 12 a.m.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23

NBC will air live the championship free dance, and portions of the original dance and the ladies short program from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. (Universal Sports will re-air from 11 p.m. - 2 a.m.)
NBC will air live the championship ladies free skate from 9:00 - 11:00 p.m. (Universal Sports will re-air from 2:00 - 4:00 a.m.)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24

NBC will air an event recap from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Universal Sports will re-air from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.)
NBC will air the Skating Spectacular and Olympic Send-off from 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

They come armed with quads and attitude, a mix of experience and youth, hoping to take the predictability out of this weekend's U.S. Figure Skating Nationals in Spokane, Wash.

With all the subtlety of a runaway Zamboni, Colorado Springs skaters Ryan Bradley and Brandon Mroz begin their Olympic quest at 7:45 p.m. MST Friday as confident dark horses.

The pre-meet skinny is that the three Olympic berths are lined up for the three favorites: Evan Lysacek, 24, the two-time U.S. and defending world champion; Jeremy Abbott, 24, the defending U.S. champ from Aspen; and Johnny Weir, 25, the three-time U.S. champion.

Bradley, 26, and Mroz, 19, however, aren't longshots. They are on the next rung down. Should one of the favorites slip, they have a good shot to make Team USA.
This will be Bradley's 11th nationals. He earned a second in 2007 and a fourth last year. Mroz came out of nowhere to finish just behind Abbott a year ago.
They are hovering. And waiting.

"I know everyone's got it all figured out, like Evan's a shoo-in, but I don't see it that way," said Tom Zakrajsek, who coaches Bradley and Mroz at the Broadmoor Skating Club. "Certainly Evan has a lot of confidence, but in our country, you still have to do it on the day they announce your name. Let's see who does it when the pressure's on."
Zakrajsek points to four years ago in St. Louis when Timothy Goebel was the defending Olympic bronze medalist and Michael Weiss was shooting for his third Olympic team. Both faltered. Rising above the fray to make the team was little-known Matt Savoie.

"Youth," Zakrajsek said, "does shine through sometimes."

Sure, but not nearly as much as confidence. Bradley and Mroz have plenty. In the closest you'll find to smack talk in figure skating, both laid down the gauntlet for this weekend.

"Brandon and I can really mix things up," Bradley said. "I actually do not think we need them to slip. If Brandon and I skate well, we can be on the team."
Added Mroz, a former youth hockey brawler: "There are quotation mark favorites, but when it comes down to it, it could be anybody's day. It's who's pushing the envelope."

Bradley and Mroz are definitely doing that. In a season when skaters are mulling the risk-reward factor of including a quad in their routine, Bradley is planning on doing three, and Mroz at least two.

It's perfect timing for Bradley. He started a quad two seasons ago and fell all season. He continued through last year and today it's just another element in his program.
"All of a sudden it got more consistent and it became pretty easy," he said. "If I put my money on a quad versus another jump, it's not more of a risk factor."

Bradley had a disappointing start to the Grand Prix season with a fourth and a ninth, then earned a third at Skate America. But Bradley is a veteran. An Olympic trials won't shake him and no skater in the U.S. connects to an audience better.

"This is definitely a different atmosphere," Bradley said. "A lot of the younger guys don't understand what it's like."

Mroz is one of those younger guys. He took second last year, but that wasn't with an Olympic berth on the line. His target date for an Olympics is more likely 2014, and Sochi, Russia.


Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_14184562#ixzz0ccNaHBID

(1/13/10) - Defending champions Alissa Czisny, Jeremy Abbott, Keauna McLaughlin & Rockne Brubaker, and Meryl Davis & Charlie White, along with World champion Evan Lysacek and Olympic silver medalists Sasha Cohen and ice dancers Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto, will take to the ice when NBC Sports and Universal Sports present live, high-definition coverage of the 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships from Spokane, Wash., over the next two weeks.

Coverage of the event on broadcast and cable television will include 13 live hours of senior-level competition in ladies and men's singles, pairs and ice dancing. Seven hours are in primetime, including the two-hour Smucker's Skating Spectacular, which will be shown from 9-11 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 24. A two-hour encore presentation of the best performances from the championships will air from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 24. The championships will be carried on television in more than 125 countries and be available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide.

In addition to the extensive television coverage, live and on-demand coverage of every skater in every discipline will be available to Season Pass subscribers on icenetwork.com. Olympic medalist Peter Carruthers, Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski and U.S. medalist Tonia Kwiatkowski will join the icenetwork.com announcing team in Spokane. For a complete listing of icenetwork.com broadcast times, visit icenetwork.com.

NBC's Olympic figure skating broadcast team of Bob Costas (host), Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Dick Button (analyst), Scott Hamilton (analyst), Sandra Bezic (analyst), Tracy Wilson (analyst) and Andrea Joyce (reporter) will be on hand for the championships in Spokane.

For the second year in a row, Universal Sports will cover the action from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships as part of a multiyear agreement between NBC Sports and U.S. Figure Skating.

NBC SPORTS COVERAGE (ALL TIMES ET)

Saturday, Jan. 16, 4:30-6 p.m. - Men's and Pairs Short Programs/Pairs Free Skate (Live)
Sunday, Jan. 17, 4:30-6 p.m. - Men's Free Skate (Live)
Saturday, Jan. 23, 3-6 p.m. - Original Dance and Ladies Short Program/Free Dance (Live)
Saturday, Jan. 23, 9-11 p.m. - Ladies Free Skate (Live)
Sunday, Jan. 24, 4-6 p.m. - Encore Show
Sunday, Jan. 24, 9-11 p.m. - Smucker's Skating Spectacular: Countdown to Vancouver

UNIVERSAL SPORTS COVERAGE

Universal Sports, available in more than 45 million homes, will present five hours of live coverage of the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships starting Friday, Jan. 15. Coverage details are as follows (all times ET):
Saturday, Jan. 16 (Friday overnight), 12:30-2:30 a.m. - Pairs Short Program/Men's Short Program (Live)
Saturday, Jan. 16, 6:30-8 p.m. - Men's and Pairs Short Programs, Pairs Free Skate (Re-air NBC show)
Sunday, Jan. 17, 6:30-8 p.m. - Men's Free Skate (Re-air NBC show)
Friday, Jan. 22 (Thursday overnight), 12:30-2:30 a.m. - Ladies Short Program (Live)
Friday, Jan. 22, 11-12 a.m. - Original Dance (Live)
Saturday, Jan. 23, 11-2 a.m. - Original Dance, Ladies Short Program, Free Dance (Re-air NBC show)
Sunday, Jan. 24 (Saturday overnight), 2-4 a.m. - Ladies Free Skate (Re-air NBC show)

Times subject to change. Check local listing for date and times of coverage in your area.

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held annually since 1914, is the nation's most prestigious figure skating event. The championships are the final competition before the members of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team are named.

COMPETITION PREVIEW

LADIES

Czisny performed well in the fall, winning the Nebelhorn Trophy, placing fourth at the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow, Russia, and winning the silver at Skate Canada. Her toughest challengers figure to be Rachael Flatt, the silver medalist at each of the last two U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and Ashley Wagner, who qualified for the 2009 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final after medaling at both of her assignments in the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series. Reigning U.S. bronze medalist Caroline Zhang, 2008 U.S. champion Mirai Nagasu and 2007 U.S. silver medalist Emily Hughes will also contend for podium spots. Adding to the drama of this event is the return of Cohen, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist.

MEN'S

The men's event might be the most competitive of the four in Spokane, with several world-class skaters among the field. Leading the way is Lysacek, the reigning World champion and Grand Prix Final champion. His longtime adversary Johnny Weir took the bronze at the Grand Prix Final and will be looking to redeem himself after a fifth-place finish at this event last year. Abbott is more than capable of taking the title for a second year; he won Skate Canada and finished just off the podium at the Grand Prix Final in the fall. Those three will face challenges from reigning U.S. silver medalist Brandon Mroz, 2009 Cancer.Net Skate America bronze medalist Ryan Bradley, reigning two-time World Junior champion Adam Rippon and 2008 U.S. bronze medalist Stephen Carriere

PAIRS

McLaughlin and Brubaker are the reigning two-time U.S. champions, but they were almost knocked off last year by Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett. Both of those teams figure to land on the podium in Spokane. Veterans Rena Inoue & John Baldwin have medaled at seven consecutive U.S. Championships and can never be counted out. Amanda Evora & Mark Ladwig, fourth-place finishers a year ago, Caitlin Yankowskas & John Coughlin, and Brooke Castile & Ben Okolski, who won the gold the last time the U.S. Championships were held in Spokane, all have realistic medal hopes.

ICE DANCING

The long-awaited showdown between five-time U.S. champions Belbin and Agosto and their former training mates, Davis and White, will take place in Spokane. Davis and White have won every competition they've entered this season, including the Grand Prix Final. Belbin and Agosto, the 2006 Olympic silver medalists, won the gold at both of their Grand Prix assignments in the fall but withdrew from the Grand Prix Final after one of Belbin's wisdom teeth became infected. Also vying for a medal are reigning U.S. silver medalists Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates, and reigning two-time U.S. bronze medalists Kim Navarro & Brent Bommentre.

SPOKANE, Wash. — The single hardest move in single’s figure skating, the quadruple jump, is like an onside kick in football: highly risky, but highly rewarding — if it unfolds as planned.

This week at the United States figure skating national championships, where a berth on the Olympic team is at stake, a few bold skaters will take that chance.

At least one, Ryan Bradley, will take several chances.

Bradley plans to attempt not one, not two, but three quads at nationals. One quad — four full rotations in the air — will be in his short program, which will be held Friday, and two more will be in his long program, held Sunday. The women’s event begins Jan. 21.

He is airborne for about one second for each quad jump. So three seconds may determine Bradley’s status as an Olympian.

“I feel that I wanted something this season to set me apart from some of the other boys,” Bradley, 26, said of his planned quad jumps in a teleconference last week.

With at least six American men considered legitimate contenders for the Olympic squad, and only three spots available, each skater needs to shine at nationals. There is little room for error, even for the more experienced and successful skaters.

Among them is Evan Lysacek, the reigning world champion; Jeremy Abbott, the defending national champion; and Johnny Weir, a three-time national champion who competed with Lysacek in the 2006 Olympics. (Lysacek was fourth; Weir was fifth.)

Also in the mix are several up-and-comers, like the 19-year-old Brandon Mroz and the 20-year-old Adam Rippon, who are having solid seasons.

“It’s going to be tough for them to decide just how much difficulty to put into every program because they don’t want to push it too much,” said Scott Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist who is now a figure skating commentator. “A hard program might get you on the team, but if it’s too hard and you mess it up, it could be disaster.”

Though the top three finishers at nationals will most likely be the ones who make the Olympic team, the team is officially picked after the competition. A U.S. Figure Skating committee will meet Monday to select the men’s team and the pairs skaters, who also compete this weekend, to go to Vancouver.

Tom Zakrajsek, who coaches Bradley and Mroz in Colorado Springs, said the committee would be looking for skaters who give the United States the best chances to win an Olympic medal. And to win a medal, Zakrajsek said, it is going to take a skater who can land a quad — or even several quads. He said he thought at least five men would try the quad in their short program at the Olympics.

A few skaters on the international scene, like France’s Brian Joubert and Russia’s Yevgeny Plushenko, are known for landing the quad. This season, Plushenko, the 2006 Olympic champion, has landed a quad-triple combination in his long program.

The last time an Olympic men’s champion failed to perform the quad was in 1994, when Aleksei Urmanov of Russia won, with seven triple jumps.

“U.S. Figure Skating is pushing us hard to do a quad because they want a skater who is a gamer, who is willing to take that risk,” Zakrajsek said. “I think it will take an aggressive skate to do well at nationals, and Ryan and Brandon are ready to do that.”

Just to make sure they are ready, though, Zakrajsek last month brought in Timothy Goebel, a former Olympic medalist and United States national champion, to work with Bradley and Mroz. Goebel, a senior at Columbia University, was known as the Quad King. In 1998 he became the first American to land a quad in competition.

Zakrajsek had asked Goebel to provide them with tips on performing the quad, but also to help them deal with the psychological highs and lows of even attempting to land it.

“Physically, Brandon and Ryan can do the quad right now, but it takes a different mind-set than the other jumps,” Goebel said. “Whether you land a quad or not, it can set the tone for the rest of the program. When you make a mistake on it, it’s very deflating. It could ruin everything else. So you really have to work on how you can get your mind back together.”

Also, pointswise, flubbing a quad could be a huge blow.

A quad toe loop, for example, has a base value of 9.8. To receive that base value for the quad, a skater must rotate at least three and three-quarters around before any part of the blade hits the ice. Short of that, the skater would be downgraded, which means he would receive the base value of a triple toe loop instead. The base value for a triple toe loop is 4.0.

A technical panel also grades the skater on how well the jump was executed. There, the skater could receive up to 3 points if the jump was spectacular, with elements like good height or distance, a difficult entry or good extension on the landing.

On the downside, the skater could lose up to 3 points if the jump was done poorly, with errors like stepping out of the landing or bad posture. If a skater falls, another point is deducted.

So, a successful attempt at a quad toe loop could earn a skater 12.8 points. But a failed try could very well leave him empty-handed. (A downgraded quad toe loop has a base value of 4.0 points: minus 3 for poor execution, minus another point for a fall equals zero.)

“It’s a major, major risk, and a lot of skaters think it’s not worth the risk to possibly lose a sizable amount of points,” said Adam Leib, a coach and a national technical specialist in singles and pairs for U.S. Figure Skating. “But some people think if you don’t challenge yourself with a quad, you’ll lose points in other areas. The judges might not give you those higher marks because you are doing an easy program. So, it’s a gamble.”

A new judging system was put in place after the judging scandal at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics. Instead of a system based on a 6.0 point scale, the current judging system gives points for every element. Skaters try to rack up the points move by move, especially in the jumps.

If a skater tries the quad toe loop and fails, he may be left wondering if he should have attempted an easier jump instead. A triple axel, for example, has a base value of 8.2; executed well, it can deliver 11.2 points.

Some skaters — including Lysacek and Canada’s Jeffrey Buttle, the past two world champions — have opted for that route. They left out the quad and still won their competitions based on their strong triple jumps.

“I don’t think that you need a quad to win; I showed that last year,” Lysacek said. “But for me, I’m still contemplating making the change. I’ll do it if I need it.”

Bradley, who was fourth at nationals last year, said he needed the quad because his artistry was lacking. He missed qualifying for the world championship team last year by one spot. If he finishes fourth at the coming nationals, which will be his 10th national championships as a senior skater, he may miss out on something even bigger: the Olympics.

“I’m going for broke this year,” he said. “Without great risk, there is no great reward.”

The starting order for the senior men is as follows:

WARMUP GROUP 1

Wesley Campbell, Nashville FSC

Johnny Weir, SC of New York Inc

Douglas Razzano, Coyotes SC of Arizona

Parker Pennington, Winterhurst FSC

Jeremy Abbott, Detroit SC

WARMUP GROUP 2

Michael Solonoski, SC of New York Inc

Ryan Bradley, Broadmoor SC

Jonathan Cassar, Detroit SC

Alexander Johnson, Braemar-City of Lakes FSC

Keegan Messing, Alaska Assoc of Figure Skaters

Grant Hochstein, St Clair Shores FSC

WARMUP GROUP 3

Stephen Carriere, Skating Club of Boston

Shaun Rogers, SC of Wilmington Inc

Dennis Phan, All Year FSC

Daniel Raad, Park FSC

Richard Dornbush, All Year FSC

Evan Lysacek, DuPage FSC

WARMUP GROUP 4

Brandon Mroz, Broadmoor SC

Armin Mahbanoozadeh, Washington FSC

Andrew Gonzales, All Year FSC

Adam Rippon, SC of New York Inc

Jason Wong, Skating Club of Boston

Tommy Steenberg, SC of Northern Virginia

The starting order for the senior pairs is as follows:

WARMUP GROUP 1

Marissa Castelli (Skating Club of Boston) and Simon Shnapir (Colonial FSC)

Ameena Sheikh (Detroit SC) and Aaron VanCleave (Detroit SC)

Brooke Castile (Arctic FSC) and Benjamin Okolski (Arctic FSC)

Caydee Denney (Southwest Florida FSC) and Jeremy Barrett (Southwest Florida FSC)

WARMUP GROUP 2

Tiffany Vise (Broadmoor SC) and Don Baldwin (Los Angeles FSC)

Andrea Best (Detroit SC) and Trevor Young (Detroit SC)

Kendra Moyle (Dallas FSC) and Steven Pottenger (Dallas FSC)

Rena Inoue (All Year FSC) and John Baldwin (All Year FSC)

WARMUP GROUP 3

Keauna McLaughlin (Los Angeles FSC) and Rockne Brubaker (Broadmoor SC)

Amanda Dobbs (Peninsula SC) and Joseph Jacobsen (All Year FSC)

Laura Lepzinski (Detroit SC) and Ethan Burgess (All Year FSC)

Tracy Tanovich (Southwest Florida FSC) and Michael Chau (Southwest Florida FSC)

WARMUP GROUP 4

Molly Aaron (Coyotes SC of Arizona) and Daniyel Cohen (Skating Club of Boston)

Lisa Moore (ISC of Fort Collins) and Justin Gaumond (All Year FSC)

Caitlin Yankowskas (Broadmoor SC) and John Coughlin (Kansas City FSC)

Amanda Evora (Southwest Florida FSC) and Mark Ladwig (Red River Valley FSC)

Skaters must accommodate a split schedule for U.S. Championships - by Philip Hersh, Los Angeles Times

While other guys sweat the Olympic team, Lysacek more concerned with changes to his program - by Nancy Armour, Q13Fox.com

Figure skaters test their mettle at U.S. championships - by Kelly Whiteside, USA Today

Countdown to Vancouver: U.S. championships: Men competing for three spots on Olympic team - Source, NBCOlympics.com

Reporting LIVE from Digital Studio B (Spokane) - by Ron Judd, The Seattle Times

Lights, Camera, Skate! Your Turn, American Men - by Nancy Armour, ESPN Sports

Bradley going for broke at U.S. Championships: 'Quad King' plans difficult combinations for programs - by Lynn Rutherford, IceNetwork News

KHQ.com Spokane will host live streaming video of senior level practice sessions at the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships throughout the the competition.

The schedule for each day can be found below.

Today - Friday, January 15

PAIRS SHORT PROGRAM WARM-UP

10:50 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

MEN'S SHORT PROGRAM WARM-UP

5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 16

PAIRS FREE SKATE WARM-UP

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Sunday, January 17

MEN'S FREE-SKATE WARM-UP

9:30 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.

Monday, January 18

NO EVENTS SCHEDULED

Tuesday, January 19

DANCE PRACTICE

3:45 p.m. - 5:55 p.m.

Wednesday, January 20

DANCE COMPETITION WARM-UP

7:30 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.

LADIES PRACTICE

12:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.

LADIES PRACTICE

5:40 p.m. - 6:20 p.m.

Thursday, January 21

DANCE COMPETITION WARM-UP

9:00 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.

LADIES SHORT PROGRAM WARM-UP

1:55 p.m. - 3:25 p.m.

Friday, January 22

DANCE PRACTICE

7:30 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.

LADIES PRACTICE

12:55 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

DANCE ORG. WARM-UP

4:05 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Saturday, January 23

LADIES FREE-SKATE WARM-UP

8:10 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

FREE DANCE WARM-UP

10:00 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.

U.S. figure skating championships begin in Spokane: As U.S. championships open, reigning world champion Evan Lysacek seems to have the right stuff for his pursuit of Olympic gold - by Ron Judd, The Seattle Times

The Inside Edge with Sarah and Drew - Jan. 15: Left feet, morning news shows and Japanese fans - by Sarah S. Brannen and Drew Meekins, IceNetwork News

Pairs champs McLaughlin-Brubaker in 7th - by Philip Hersh, Chicago Breaking Sports

Denney, Barrett lead senior pairs after short program: McLaughlin, Brubaker distant seventh - by Becca Staed Bishop, IceNetwork News

With trip to Vancouver at stake, Big Three deliver - Source, ESPN Olympic Sports

Lysacek's brilliant performance doesn't impress U.S. judges - by Christine Brennan, USA Today

Abbott, Lysacek, Weir dominate men's figure skating - by Philip Hersh, Los Angeles Times

Denney-Barrett bring fun back to US pairs skating: Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett weren't even skating together two years ago. Now they're U.S. champions - by Nancy Armour, The Seattle Times

Denney-Barrett win U.S. figure skating pairs title - Source, HeraldNet.com

2010 US Figure Skating Championships: Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett win senior pairs event - Source, LifeSkate.com

Newly crowned national pairs champions Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett and runners up Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig were named to the United States Olympic team Saturday, after defending national champions and expected Olympians Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker fell apart on the ice in Spokane, Wash.

2006 Olympians Rena Inoue and John Baldwin finished third at Nationals, but missed the Olympic team. Following the event, they expressed displeasure in the selection procedures saying “The top two teams here should go, otherwise, why have U.S. nationals?"

Denney and Barrett captured the gold medal in convincing fashion with a flawless performance in the free skate, electrifying the crowd in Spokane. Evora and Ladwig had an early mistake but shook it off to finish strong and grab the silver medal.

The surprise of the event was the fifth place finish of defending champions McLaughlin and Brubaker. A disastrous short program had left them in 7th place heading into the free skate. A solid free skate likely would have put them in Nationals medal contention, but they skated tentatively and were unable to capture an Olympic berth.


Final Standings

1 Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett
2 Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig
3 Rena Inoue and John Baldwin

4 Brooke Castile and Benjamin Okolski
5 Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker
6 Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin
7 Amanda Dobbs and Joseph Jacobsen
8 Tiffany Vise and Don Baldwin


Quick hits from the final two groups of the Pairs Free Skate

Amanda Dobbs and Joseph Jacobsen - Overall Total 152.66

Lovely performance for their national debut. They hit all of their elements with poise and precision. They won’t factor into the medals this time around, but look for this team to be a force in the future.

Brooke Castile and Benjamin Okolski - Overall Total 169.95

The 2007 National Champions didn’t execute their side-by-side jumps as planned and had a step out on the throw triple flip. But very nice throw triple salchow and beautiful lifts.

Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker - Overall Total 165.73

Not the strong performance that this team needed in order to pull up and have a shot at the Olympic Team. Small errors throughout the program and an overall tentative quality. They're currently sitting behind Castile/Okolski with 5 teams left to skate. After the free skate, McLaughlin told Andrea Joyce “I felt like I gave it my all in the long program. All I can say is it was good come back from the short.”

Molly Aaron and Daniyel Cohen - Overall Total 146.60

Strong Nationals debut for this young team. Small mistakes throughout but an overall solid performance.Although they won't factor into the medals this time, they showed a lot of promise.

Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig - Overall Total 173.78

Opened with a great triple twist and followed it up with side-by-side triple toes. Ladwig stepped out a bit early but Evora fell on their throw triple lutz – a risky move that didn’t pay off today. But after those early mistakes, they were able to finish the program cleanly and with a lot of energy. They even had some of the Spokane audience on their feet at the conclusion.

Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett - Overall Total 190.30

Opened with a strong triple twist, excellent. Side-by-side triple toes, clean. Throw triple lutz, amazing. Great opening – they don’t seem to be feeling the pressure of the event at all. Fantastic program, lots of dynamic energy and excitement. Crowd jumps to their feet before the music even ends and their coach has tears in his eyes.

Rena Inoue and John Baldwin - Overall Total 173.18

The Torino Olympians opened their free skate with shaky side-by-side triple toes as Baldwin two footed his. A rough catch on the triple twist but followed by a well-executed throw triple loop. Halfway through the program, Inoue lands a throw triple axel! (One of the few teams to ever perform this skill). Solid performance. Inoue unable to hold back her tears.

Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin - Overall Total 164.83

Stepping onto the ice, they knew that they had a shot at the podium and Olympic team but seemed to be a bit over-excited. Opened with a huge triple twist but the program began to fall apart as it went along, with mistakes on the throws and side-by-side jumps.

Vancouver berths go to young pairs - by Craig Hill, Stamford Advocate

Jeremy Abbott looks ahead with confidence - by Jo-Ann Barnas, Detroit Free Press

Baldwin, Inoue blast judges after third-place finish - by Scott M. Reid, Orange County Register

Evan Lysacek's could be U.S. best skating hope - by Kate Hairopoulos, Greenwich Time

Sunshine state skating pairs share spotlight for USA - by Christine Brennan, USA Today

This might be it for Inoue and Baldwin - by Nancy Armour, RecorderOnline.com

Any other year, those medals around the necks of Jeremy Abbott, Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir would be their most prized possession.

This year, though, the American flag tops them.

Abbott, Lysacek and Weir are on their way to the Vancouver Olympics, giving the United States its strongest team since Brian Boitano's days. The three have had a stranglehold on the national title since 2004 and, with Abbott winning his second straight Sunday, each has won it multiple times. Lysacek is the reigning world champion, Abbott won last year's Grand Prix final and Weir was the bronze medalist at the 2008 worlds.

Having just one of them would be a bonanza for most countries.

"Very strong," Lysacek said when asked to assess the team. "I'm very honored to be part of this team and stand next to these two guys. Of the six, seven, eight, nine, 10 incredible men that competed tonight, we came out on top.

"We're going to work really hard, and we're going to do really well."

And better, Lysacek and Weir promised, than they did Sunday.

This was the deepest men's field in years at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and it figured to be a dogfight to make the Olympic team. But Abbott, Lysacek and Weir broke away from the pack in Friday's short program, and it likely would have taken a total collapse to knock one of them out.

That didn't happen.

While Lysacek and Weir both had flawed programs, Abbott provided a fitting end to the competition with a stirring performance. He showed off his entire arsenal of jumps, doing them with a grace and ease that comes with knowing you are well-trained for this moment.

He opened up his program with a quadruple toe loop jump, landing it more easily than some guys do triples, and also did a triple axel-triple toe combination. With Lysacek falling on his quad attempt, those jumps might have been enough to put Abbott at the top. But he tossed off a triple lutz-triple toe-double loop combo for good measure.

Abbott's classical program wasn't as entertaining as his "A Day in the Life" short program, but he brought the house down with his final spin. It was so tight and centered, it had to have drilled a hole in the middle of the ice and the fans were on their feet before he stopped whirling.

His score of 263.66 points was 25 more than Lysacek — a landslide for those of you still confused by skating's new judging system.

"My goal was to be on the team and continue to peak at the right time and improve on each performance, and I feel I've stuck to that plan," Abbott said. "Winning is just the icing on the cake, and I'm so honored to represent the United States as the national champion."

His performance was a bit of redemption, too. After winning the title last year, he imploded with dismal performances at Four Continents and the world championships. That prompted him to make a coaching change last May, a decision many questioned because it was coming so close to the Olympics. When he got off to a slow start this season, the doubters grew.

But the move was about more than skating. Abbott grew as a person, too, and his newfound confidence is what made all the difference Sunday.

"Everyone has doubt in themselves, but I used to believe it," Abbott said. "That little nagging voice in the back of my head that told me I couldn't do it, I'd believe it. I'm learning I can quiet that voice and tell it to shut up."


Lysacek didn't have his usual flair, looking more like he was doing a test run than a true performance. Which, in some ways, it was.

The United States' best hope for an Olympic gold medal since Brian Boitano won in '88, Lysacek made significant upgrades to his programs after winning last month's Grand Prix final in hopes of improving his technical score. All but assured a place in Vancouver, he was more concerned with seeing how those changes worked here than the final results.

"I have mixed feelings. I'm so, so honored to be a part of a second Olympic team, and I'm saving my Olympic skate for that night," Lysacek said.

Weir hit his low point after a dismal performance at nationals last year left him off the world team for the first time since 2004. He actually considered quitting the sport, only bouncing back after a pep talk from his mother, and it was clear just how much a second trip to the Olympics means to him.

The colorful, quirky and always entertaining Weir was one-dimensional, clearly trying not to step off that podium. He popped his second triple axel into a single and stepped out of the landing of his triple-triple combination, and only his final footwork segment got the crowd going.

"I have very mixed feelings about my performance tonight. There's lots of things I can be proud of and, of course, mistakes I'm not so happy about," Weir said. "I'm saving that perfect, amazing clean performance (for Vancouver).

"My costume looked pretty," he added, "so I'm happy about that."

Ehh.

Weir redesigned his costume after the Grand Prix final and it was disappointingly tame, with only sparkles and a touch of fur — white fox, for you fashionistas — to glam it up. His idol, Lady Gaga, would definitely not approve.

"It was fluffy," Weir said. "I looked very special. I looked like I dressed up for this event, which is what I wanted."

No, he wanted a shot at Olympic gold. And now he, Abbott and Lysacek will have it.

"I think the three of us will represent the United States extremely well," Abbott said, "and I think it's going to be very, very exciting."

Had Weir not had a solid cushion after the short, it might be Ryan Bradley going to Vancouver.

Bradley put on one of the best shows of the day and was the only man to do two quads, including one in combination. He also did a three-jump combo. But it was his playfulness that made him such a delight and had the audience laughing out loud and standing before his program was over.

Skating to Baroque chamber music, he fluttered his fingers as if he were a conductor and, in one trip to the end of he rink, bowed to fans like a wealthy gentleman at a 1700's dance. He couldn't have given the program more life had he been wearing a big, powdered wig. The only knock on the program was it didn't include a triple axel, a staple at this level. He did do a double.

Wagner keeping heart under control for U.S. figure skating - by Gary Mihoces, USA Today

With help from Tara Lipinski, Ashley Wagner takes shot at redemption - by Amy Shipley, The Washington Post

Tears dry, Nagasu may be ready to surprise: Will the real Mirai stand up in Spokane? - by Lynn Rutherford, IceNetwork News

Ice dancing tandem Belbin, Agosto relishes task at hand - by Gary Mihoces, USA Today

Alissa Czisny's up-and-down career: Brilliant performances by the defending national champion too often have been followed by dismal flops - by Philip Hersh, Los Angeles Times

Figure skater Nagasu returns from 'dark side' - by Scott M. Reid, O.C. Register

Former national skating champion Mirai Nagasu reaches critical point - by Philip Hersh, Los Angeles Times

U.S. Nationals: Ladies preview - by Michelle Ellis, NBCOlympics.com

[center]2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships Senior Ladies Short Program Start Order

- Source, Figure Skaters Online


The ladies short program at the 2010 U.S. Championships is Thursday at 7:30 p.m. local time at the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash.

Warmup Group 1

1 Tatyana Khazova, Broadmoor SC
2 Rebecca Stern, University of Delaware FSC
3 Rachael Flatt, Broadmoor SC
4 Alissa Czisny, Detroit SC
5 Samantha Cesario, SC of New York Inc

Warmup Group 2

6 Christina Gao, Northern Kentucky SC
7 Mirai Nagasu, Pasadena FSC
8 Chelsea Morrow, Greater Grand Rapids FSC
9 Alexe Gilles, Broadmoor SC
10 Ellie Kawamura, All Year FSC
11 Caroline Zhang, All Year FSC

Warmup Group 3

12 Amanda Dobbs, Peninsula SC
13 Laney Diggs, All Year FSC
14 Melissa Bulanhagui, University of Delaware FSC
15 Sasha Cohen, Orange County FSC
16 Christina-Maria Sperduto, St Paul FSC
17 Beatrisa Liang, All Year FSC

Warmup Group 4

18 Emily Hughes, SC of New York Inc
19 Becky Bereswill, Houston FSC
20 Blake Rosenthal, SC of Wilmington Inc
21 Kayla Howey, DuPage FSC
22 Kristiene Gong, All Year FSC
23 Ashley Wagner, SC of Wilmington Inc

Place Name TSS
= TES
+ PCS
+ SS TR PE CH IN Deduction
- Start
#

1 Mirai Nagasu, Pasadena FSC 70.06 40.20 29.86 7.43 7.07 7.75 7.57 7.50 0.00 #7
2 Sasha Cohen, Orange County FSC 69.63 39.26 30.37 7.61 7.14 7.96 7.57 7.68 0.00 #15
3 Rachael Flatt, Broadmoor SC 69.35 39.39 29.96 7.39 7.18 7.68 7.57 7.64 0.00 #3
4 Ashley Wagner, SC of Wilmington Inc 62.55 34.68 28.87 7.39 6.96 7.14 7.39 7.21 1.00 #23
5 Christina Gao, Northern Kentucky SC 56.26 32.71 23.55 6.04 5.61 5.96 6.04 5.79 0.00 #6
6 Amanda Dobbs, Peninsula SC 56.11 31.83 24.28 6.29 5.64 6.18 6.14 6.11 0.00 #12
7 Alissa Czisny, Detroit SC 54.18 27.34 27.84 7.29 6.61 6.71 7.11 7.07 1.00 #4
8 Emily Hughes, SC of New York Inc 53.75 28.75 25.00 6.61 5.75 6.50 6.18 6.21 0.00 #18
9 Alexe Gilles, Broadmoor SC 53.54 29.97 23.57 5.96 5.54 5.96 6.07 5.93 0.00 #9
10 Beatrisa Liang, All Year FSC 51.98 27.68 25.30 6.39 5.89 6.39 6.43 6.54 1.00 #17
11 Caroline Zhang, All Year FSC 49.94 25.74 25.20 6.39 6.00 6.25 6.61 6.25 1.00 #11
12 Kristiene Gong, All Year FSC 48.11 27.02 21.09 5.64 5.00 5.32 5.29 5.11 0.00 #22
13 Chelsea Morrow, Greater Grand Rapids FSC 46.35 26.60 19.75 5.11 4.71 5.04 5.11 4.71 0.00 #8
14 Melissa Bulanhagui, University of Delaware FSC 45.60 23.96 21.64 5.25 5.14 5.39 5.64 5.64 0.00 #14
15 Becky Bereswill, Houston FSC 44.60 21.18 23.42 5.93 5.64 5.82 5.93 5.96 0.00 #19
16 Samantha Cesario, SC of New York Inc 44.33 24.51 20.82 5.43 4.89 5.25 5.29 5.18 1.00 #5
17 Blake Rosenthal, SC of Wilmington Inc 43.43 22.95 21.48 5.64 5.14 5.61 5.29 5.18 1.00 #20
18 Laney Diggs, All Year FSC 42.87 23.21 20.66 5.39 4.79 5.29 5.25 5.11 1.00 #13
19 Tatyana Khazova, Broadmoor SC 41.63 22.85 18.78 4.82 4.29 4.75 4.79 4.82 0.00 #1
20 Kayla Howey, DuPage FSC 35.59 16.06 19.53 5.14 4.68 4.79 4.89 4.93 0.00 #21
21 Ellie Kawamura, All Year FSC 33.51 16.06 19.45 5.18 4.57 4.71 4.89 4.96 2.00 #10
22 Rebecca Stern, University of Delaware FSC 32.49 17.43 17.06 4.54 4.07 4.04 4.43 4.25 2.00 #2
23 Christina-Maria Sperduto, St Paul FSC 31.62 12.59 19.03 4.86 4.46 4.68 4.96 4.82 0.00 #16

Davis-White win OD with Bollywood-themed skate - Source, Passport to Gold 2010

Bollywood scores blockbuster in Spokane: Davis, White step out to 1.62-point lead over Belbin, Agosto - by Lynn Rutherford, IceNetwork News

Bollywood scores another hit with Davis-White's OD - by Nancy Armour, The Seattle Times

Nichol's choreography shines in top U.S. ladies: Former U.S. novice competitor creates for Nagasu, Cohen, Flatt - by Lynn Rutherford, IceNetwork News

PopWatch on Ice: Spiral sequence showdown in Spokane on Saturday night - by Mandi Bierly, EW.com

Olympic spots in women's skating a tricky numbers game - by Gary Mihoces, USA Today

Could a third-place figure skater slip into Vancouver Olympics? - by Ron Judd, The Seattle Times

Czisny's coach emphasizes the importance of fun - by Jo-Ann Barnas, Detroit Free Press

The United States will be represented by the following athletes:

Ice Dancing:

Meryl Davis and Charlie White

Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto

Emily Samuelson and Evan Bate

Ladies:

Rachael Flatt

Mirai Nagasu

Men:

Jeremy Abbott

Evan Lysacek

Johnny Weir

Pairs:

Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett

Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig