Weir, who also thinks of himself as an artist, said a series of illnesses in November and December had sapped his strength as well as his confidence.
"I lost a lot of weight, and when you aren't feeling strong as a person, it is hard to feel strong on the ice," Weir said.
Lysacek and Abbott scored well on triple-triple jump combinations, but Abbott's solo triple axel was so much better than Lysacek's, accounting for much of his lead.
"Evan is a great champion, and Jeremy outskated him right after he skated well," Zakrajsek said.
Lysacek's more intense style also fit his music, Ravel's "Bolero," with its pulsating drumbeats and increasingly frenetic tempo.
But his costume, with crosses on front and back, was discordant, and his explanation muddled.
He said the reference was to the use of "Bolero" in a Spanish movie but added he had never seen the movie and did not know what it was called. It told what he called an "inappropriate" story, of a nun who goes to a monastery, with the music meant to express building sexual energy.
Earlier this season, though, Lysacek had said Tatiana Tarasova, who choreographed the program, had created the costume design simply because she likes crosses.
Only in figure skating.
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phersh@tribune.com
