Meissner, Lysacek lead after short program
By Lindsay DeWall // US Figure Skating // January 26, 2007
SPOKANE, Wash.(Jan. 25, 2007) — Following Thursday’s short programs at the 2007 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane, Wash., World champion Kimmie Meissner (Bel Air, Md.) and World bronze medalist Evan Lysacek (Naperville, Ill.) lead the packs after near flawless programs. Both have a battle on their hands heading into Saturday’s free skate, as strong competitors in both fields aren’t far behind, which for Lysacek, includes three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir (Quarryville, Pa.), who’s less than a point out. Earlier in the day, Keauna McLaughlin (Los Angeles, Calif.) & Rockne Brubaker (Algonquin, Ill.) won the U.S. junior pairs title.
SENIOR LADIES
With a World title already on her resume, 17-year-old took a major step Thursday night toward securing her first U.S. title as well. Bebe Liang (Granada Hills, Calif.), 18, collected a second-place finish, while Emily Hughes (Great Neck, N.Y.), who turns 18 on Friday, placed third.
“It’s really different because there is no national champion here, so it’s up in the air,” Meissner said. “That’s why this year it’s really exciting, and it will be interesting to see what happens on Saturday.”
In front of 8,010 boisterous fans, Meissner followed a dynamic skate by Hughes. Meissner zipped through her “Snowstorm” program, opening strong by landing her triple Lutz-triple toe loop, followed by a triple flip and double Axel. Executing a solid short program has been trying for Meissner this season, and she was glad to put a clean one in the books.
Meissner owns a U.S. bronze medal (2005) and a U.S. silver medal (2006), and she was the U.S. junior champion in 2004.
Liang, who is competing in her seventh U.S. Championships as a senior, delivered a crowd-pleasing performance to “Firedance” by David Foster. She earned big points for the deliverance of her triple Lutz-double toe loop, triple flip and double Axel. She also had all level threes and fours. Her best finish at the U.S. Championships occurred in 2005 and 2006 when she placed fifth.
Hughes got the crowd revved up while skating her “Carmen” program. A successful triple flip-double toe loop, triple Lutz and double Axel ignited an energy-charged program that captivated the audience.
The ladies event concludes with the free skate on Saturday.
SENIOR MEN
The two dominant names in U.S. senior men’s figure skating – Lysacek and Weir – put on a dazzling show Thursday afternoon, wowing the crowd of 6,540 with two near-perfect short programs to position themselves for a classic showdown in the free skate Saturday night.
Both men withdrew from their last competition, the 2006 Grand Prix Final in St. Petersburg, Russia, after hurting their hips, Lysacek during the warm-up for the short program and Weir on the morning of the free skate. But they showed no ill effects of the injuries on Thursday.
Looking for his first U.S. gold medal after capturing a silver and a bronze each of the last two years, Lysacek skated first. With the shadow of past substandard short programs – namely the ones at last year’s U.S. Championships and the 2006 Olympic Winter Games – hovering over him, it was vital for Lysacek to come out and make a statement, which is just what he did.
He landed four clean triples, including a triple Lutz-triple toe combination and a triple Axel. The only negative GOEs he earned were for his spins.
“(Today) was this weight lifted off of my shoulders, and I think this was my goal today — to show anyone that has criticized my short program skating that when I’m really well trained and prepared and want to win something, nothing can stop me,” Lysacek said.
Weir has owned this competition in recent years, winning his last three times on the national stage. The man known as much for his balletic skating as his flamboyant personality was all business once he took the ice. His program to “King of Chess” (the DeBeers diamond song) was equally good as Lysacek’s; he even earned more points for the Axel and the triple-triple combo than Lysacek did for his.
“A lot of people are counting me out of this championship,” Weir said. “I hadn’t competed well all season and with all the pressure being three-time champion, I’m trying to keep the title. I’m so happy that I didn’t fall on my butt, and I was able to get through it.”
With all the talk about the top two, it is easy to forget that there is another medal up for grabs, and long-time U.S. Championships competitor Ryan Bradley (Colorado Springs, Colo.) staked his claim to Thursday. This is Bradley 10th appearance at the U.S. Championships and his seventh as a senior, where his highest previous finish is sixth (2004).
The men’s event concludes with the free skate on Saturday.
JUNIOR PAIRS
Brubaker became a two-time U.S. junior pairs champion Thursday, as he and new partner U.S. junior title with Mariel Miller in 2005, but after their split shortly before the 2006 U.S. Championships, Brubaker had to watch the event from the stands that year. In February 2006, he paired up with McLaughlin, and with only a few months training, they won two Junior Grand Prix Series events and the Junior Grand Prix Final.
Now, they’re U.S. junior champions.
“This year has probably been my favorite year,” Brubaker said. “We have an awesome relationship and have so much fun.”
The team opened their free skate to a mix of “Romeo and Juliet” music with their magnificent triple twist – something not many of the U.S. senior pairs skaters are doing. Brubaker said they moved from double to triple twist in practice quickly because of McLaughlin’s solid technique. They received five +3 grades of execution and four +2s for the move.
Bianca Butler(Dana Point, Calif.) & Joseph Jacobsen (Lake Arrowhead, Calif.) capped off what could have been a disappointing season with a comeback and the silver medal. In early fall, Butler suffered a concussion at Norway’s Junior Grand Prix event. They withdrew from the event and did not receive a second assignment.
Although they finished fourth in the free skate, reigning novice champions Jessica Rose Paetsch (Centennial, Colo.) & Jon Nuss (Colorado Springs, Colo.) won the bronze medal by a mere 0.20 points. A triple twist opened their program as well, and they followed it up with a throw triple Salchow, side-by-side double Lutzes and a throw double loop. Their one major error was Nuss’ fall on the pairs combination spin.
