Goebel is a five-time U.S. Nationals medalist (1999-2003) and is the defending World Championships silver medalist. Goebel tries to change that silver medal to a gold one this week (Mar. 24-30) in Washington D.C.

Q1: How long did it take you to learn how to do quads, and does being tall make it easier to do them?

TIMOTHY GOEBEL: I started working on them when I was 14. I landed the first one in practice when I was 16 and I landed the first one in competition when I was 17, so it was a long process, much longer so than any of the other jumps that I've learned.

Being tall actually makes it harder. (Tim is 5-7.) It's better to be short because there's less resistance in the air, so being shorter and being thinner makes it easier. And also when you're shorter, especially if you're really, really short, like Tara Lipinski or something, you have a lower center of gravity. You can be further up in the air, you can be more crooked in the air and save something because you have a lower center of gravity … you have a lower balance point.

Q2: How do you train for the Olympics?

TIMOTHY GOEBEL: You don't just train for the Olympics in the Olympic year. Everyone who has made it to the Olympics has developed as a skater. I think it's very important for people to focus on the long term and say, 'Okay, this is where I am now and this is where I need to be.' So every year, leading up to this, I've really tried to add something new to my skating. A few years ago, starting in '98, I started adding the quad and then after that I really started focusing on choreography and developing consistency and relating to the music better. That's the key to skating. It never stops. You're always trying to develop. You're always trying to get better.

Q3: How do you keep motivated?

TIMOTHY GOEBEL: It's very easy; it's something I love to do. I want to keep being competitive; I want to stay at this level, so I think that's my motivation. Once you reach a certain point, you never want to have less than that, so that's my motivation. I like going to the rink everyday and getting out there and saying, 'Okay, how well can I get myself to skate.'

Q4: What's your favorite program that you've skated to?

TIMOTHY GOEBEL: I'm going to have to say my long program, "An American in Paris." It's helped me achieve really everything I've worked so hard for. I made my first Olympics with this program and I won my first Olympic program with this program. I'll always remember it very well. I've had so much success with it.

Q5: Do you watch other competitors perform?

TIMOTHY GOEBEL: When I'm getting ready to compete, I'm trying to just focus on my competition on what I need to do. Making sure that I'm warmed up and that I'm mentally ready to get out there and do my best. The groups before my warm-up, the six previous skaters to my warm-up, I watch pretty carefully because I figure at that point we're not really competing so much; it's more like, since I'm coming after them I have a better shot of beating them … I want to know how people do. I'm curious, you know. I don't really watch people in my group; it's too hard. It's distracting. I watch everyone after I'm done.

Q6: Do you have any rituals that you do before competing?

TIMOTHY GOEBEL: No, I don't really have a ritual. I do pretty much the same warm-up before competition as in practice. That's why I have the results that I do, because I try to keep everything the same. I try to make competition nothing different than practice. I try to make it as much like practice as I can. I do the same warm-up. I get to the rink at about the same time. I try to keep everything as much the same, so that when I get to the competition, it's not such a shock.

Q7 Where do we get good judges?

TIMOTHY GOEBEL: The ISU is actually doing - I mean, believe it or not with everything that happened here - the ISU is doing a very good job of lately of making an effort in the past few years of educating the judges, so they know when they get out there what to look for, what not to look for. For the most part, the judges are doing a very good job. For the most part, they're getting it right. People have to look beyond the one big mistake. You have to look at all of the other competitions that happen in a year, when the right people do win. It's really important to have well-educated judges and I think the ISU is really making an effort to educate the judges.

I think really the best skating judges are former ice skaters; people who have competed at the world and Olympic level. Once you've reached that level, you obviously know a lot about the sport. Those would be the best; people who have just retired, who are coaching now. A lot of the people who were competing in the late '80s to early '90s, those would be the best judges because they know what's happening now in the sport. They're more current and they understand what's happening now in the sport. I think bringing in some new blood, bringing in some athletes, some former skaters themselves … they understand what it's like. For people who were competing 20, 30 years ago it's different. As the sport is changing, the judges need to continue to change. They to bring new blood in and educating the new … like a whole new generation of judges.

Q8: Of all the friends you've made in skating, who do you feel closest to and why?

TIMOTHY GOEBEL: I'm close to different people for different reasons. Angela Nikodinov is a very good friend of mine. We've sort of grown up together. We've been competing internationally together since 1996. I've known her for a very long time. We've gone to Junior Worlds. We've gone to Junior Grand Prix's. We've gone to Senior Grand Prix's together. Of the U.S. figure skaters, I've probably known her the longest. Also, Naomi Lang and Peter Tchnernyshev for the same reasons; we've really sort of come up together.

Q9: What is the most fun place you have had the chance to visit for a skating event?

TIMOTHY GOEBEL: Five years ago I went to a competition in Italy and after that I went to Rome for a few days. Of all the cities outside the United States, I like Rome the best. It's absolutely amazing to me. I love it!

Q10: Did you really get to enjoy those Krispy Kreme donuts a week before the Olympics or were you just graciously supporting a very appreciative cause?

TIMOTHY GOEBEL: No, I actually like Krispy Kreme donuts. I will go way out of my way to get Krispy Kreme donuts.