Olympic skating hopes lay with men, ice dancers

When German security guards raced to his section at the 1991 figure-skating world championships and carted off a U.S. flag draped over the balcony, Ron Hershberger was startled.

Hershberger, a veteran USA Figure Skating official from Los Gatos, then realized what had unfolded: "We swept the podium, and they didn't have enough flags," he recalled recently.

Fremont's Kristi Yamaguchi won the ladies singles in Munich, followed by the now-notorious Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan.

Almost two decades later, the landscape has undergone a seismic shift.

As the U.S. Olympic trials begin today in Spokane, Wash., it is difficult to imagine such domination by American women. Since the incomparable Michelle Kwan retired four years ago, U.S. skaters have struggled to keep up while the triple axel of power has shifted to Asia.

And yet compelling storylines will develop over the next two weeks as the United States selects its team for the Winter Olympics, which open Feb. 12 in Vancouver, British Columbia

Although the women no longer command the spotlight and U.S. pairs continue to struggle, Americans have the potential for eye-popping performances in Vancouver. But now the expectations fall to the guys and, get this, the ice dancers.

Here's a look at what to expect:

The men

Not since the "Battle of the Brians" at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary have the men demanded so much attention in the United States.

Brian Boitano of Sunnyvale defeated Canada's Brian Orser in 1988, the last time an American man won an Olympic gold medal. Since then, only two others have reached the podium: Paul Wylie won a silver medal in 1992 and Timothy Goebel a bronze in 2002.

The fortunes could change this year. Led by reigning world champion Evan Lysacek, national champion Jeremy Abbott and 2006 Olympian Johnny Weir, the United States could produce two medalists in Vancouver.

"We're beyond the point where we aren't a threat," said Weir, who won a bronze at the Grand Prix final in December. "We're the strongest nation."

Lysacek won the Grand Prix final in Japan, and Abbott was fourth. Only Japan silver medalist Nobunari Oda prevented an American sweep.

The women

Because of poor results at the world championships, the United States earned only two Olympic berths for ladies' singles. That alone makes the competition in Spokane dramatic. The leading candidates for those spots are Alissa Czisny, Sasha Cohen, Rachael Flatt, Mirai Nagasu, Ashley Wagner and Caroline Zhang.

So far none of them has shown the capability to challenge South Korea's Yu-Na Kim or Japan's Mao Asada, Miki Ando and Akiko Suzuki.

"U.S. skaters certainly can break through that barrier," said Flatt, 17, the top-ranked American who has applied to nine colleges, including Stanford.

If that's true, the one most likely to do it is Wagner, 18, of Alexandria, Va. Wagner's mistake-free long program at the Grand Prix final a month ago was nothing less than divine. She finished fourth overall.

Cohen, the 2006 silver medalist, presents the biggest mystery. The Orange County skater has been slowed by injuries in a comeback this season and has yet to compete seriously. Her first real test will come in Spokane.

Cohen has changed coaches the way some people change shoes; everyone's waiting to see if she can still perform as she did in 2006.

Ice dance

Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto have won five U.S. championships and four world medals and were second at the Turin Games four years ago.

And now the couple is America's second-best team as University of Michigan students Meryl Davis and Charlie White have emerged as the country's pre-eminent pair.

Both talented U.S. teams could challenge for medals in Vancouver, which marks a great leap forward for a discipline once considered the stepchild of U.S. figure skating.

"North American teams have always been very technically skilled, and I think that the way the sport has gone as of late kind of supports that," Davis said.

Davis and White have an Indian-themed original dance that has received a quarter-million hits on YouTube — an impressive number by anyone's estimation. The dance also has been embraced by Indians.

The couple hopes judges in Spokane and Vancouver embrace it as well.