The U.S. figure skating championships, which begin today in Boston, may be a battle of the ages--if not for the ages.
While defending women's champion Michelle Kwan tries to fend off another wave of teenage sensations, defending men's champion Michael Weiss must fend off Todd Eldredge, who preceded him as the titleholder, and 20-year-old Timothy Goebel, whose spectacular quadruple jumps and improved artistry make him a formidable foe.
For the Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday January 17, 2001 Home Edition Sports Part D Page 10 Sports Desk 1 inches; 24 words Type of Material: Correction
Figure skating--Sasha Cohen hasn't missed any competition this season and has been hampered by a back injury only recently. Information on that was incorrect Tuesday.
Weiss, 24, has won the last two men's championships. But on both occasions, Eldredge--a five-time winner--didn't compete. Eldredge, 29, has returned to Olympic-eligible competition this season and was third in the Japan Open and Skate America, and second at Skate Canada. Weiss, hampered by a cracked foot bone and sore lower back, competed in only one Grand Prix event, finishing sixth at the Cup of Russia.
"Before Todd retired I hadn't beaten him," Weiss said. "But I was a very different skater three or four years ago than I am now."
Because the U.S. can send only two men to the World Championships in Vancouver, Canada, in March--allotments are based on the placement of each country's skaters in the previous World Championships--the men's competition will be especially fierce.
"Nationals are always fun. The pressure is on us," Weiss said. "Skaters expect this kind of drama and pressure at the national championships. When you have a lot on the line, a lot of times it brings the best out of skaters. I'm expecting all of us to skate very solidly."
The U.S. can send three women, two pairs and two dance teams to Vancouver.
Kwan, who remained in the Olympic-eligible ranks after winning a silver medal at Nagano in 1998, has won the women's title four of the last five years, yielding in 1997 to Tara Lipinski. The last two second-place finishers, 15-year-old Naomi Nari Nam of Irvine (1999) and 16-year-old Sasha Cohen of Laguna Niguel (2000) have missed most of this season because of injuries.
Cohen, who finished fourth at the Cup of Russia and fifth at the Nations Cup, is expected to wait until shortly before Friday's short program to decide whether a cracked bone in her back will prevent her from competing.
Among Kwan's most serious challengers is 15-year-old Sarah Hughes, who was second at Skate America and the Nations Cup, and third at the Cup of Russia.
Championship-level competition begins tonight with the compulsory dances. Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev are the two-time defending champions.
