The Nationals are one of the most eagerly awaited events in US figure skating every year, and this January 2010 event has special significance as it will determine the line-up of the figure skating contingent for the Vancouver Olympics in February 2010.
This year, the United States was only able to send two female skaters to the Olympics, due to placement in the 2009 World Championships. This fact will be heavily discussed in the media during the national and at the Olympics. The US will send three people to the Olympics, and two ice dance teams.
On the men’s side, Evan Lysacek, a fourth-place winner at the 2006 Olympics, is the favorite going to Vancouver. He won the 2009 World Championship and took medals in all three of his appearances at the 2009-10 Grand Prix, including Gold in the Finals.
Another favorite for men is Colorado Springs skater Ryan Bradley, who took home 3rd and 4th places in two Grand Prix appearances this season. I recently had the pleasure of seeing Ryan in practice, and he looks pretty strong, like fellow Broadmoor skater Brandon Mroz, who won silver in 2009 US Citizen.
Johnny Weir is another Olympic competitor that should not be overlooked. Although he has had a personally challenging season this year, he took home a bronze medal in this year’s Grand Prix final.
Jeremy Abbott completes the list of Americans who may be on their way to Vancouver. Jeremy had a breakthrough season in 2008–09, winning the US national championship and gold in the Grand Prix Final. For 2009-10, he has glided strongly under new coaching, and took first in Skate Canada and 4th in the Grand Prix Final.
The female side of US figure skating today is the throes of turbulent times. Having dominated international women’s figure skating for decades, the US is currently looking for strong leadership.
Alyssa Czisny, the reigning US national champion, has a long history of inconsistency in her figure skating. Alyssa is a seasoned veteran of senior figure skating, and won her first gold after eight appearances at the US Nationals at senior level in 2009. She placed 11th in the World Championships, and took 2 and 4 in two Grand Prix appearances this season. . He is a strong contender for one of the two spots for Vancouver.
Ashley Wagner finished 4th in the 2009 US Nationals, 4th in the recent Grand Prix Finals, and placed 2nd and 3rd in the Russian Cup and NHK Trophy, respectively. Ashley is also a senior circuit veteran, and put in some outstanding performances in her Grand Prix appearances. In many ways, lately he’s been a bit “running” and has a good chance of getting on the Olympic team.
Emily Hughes, the younger sister of 2002 Olympic champion Sarah Hughes, has had a rough time in recent seasons, and had to glide across the North Atlantic region to earn a trip to this year’s Nationals, where she finished 2nd. Due to an injury to Kimmie Meissner, she skated in Skate America and took 7th place, which was a fine outing for her in just her fourth international event in three seasons. Emily was an emergency substitute for the injured Michelle Kwan at the 2006 Olympics, where she took an honorable 7th place. Emily did not skate at the 2009 US Championships due to injury, but has taken time off from Harvard to train for this year’s National and Olympics. I would be lying if I didn’t profess to be a fan of Emily Hughes, and believe that she has the same opportunity to go to Vancouver as anyone else.
Several other US women had very bad seasons, due to various injuries and other problems. Mirai Nagasu, Caroline Zhang, Kimmie Meissner, and Sasha Cohen (who is trying to bounce back competitively) have all had a tough season with little competition.
Perhaps the best hope for an American medal on the women’s side in Vancouver is Broadmoor skater Rachael Flatt. Rachael has shown the most consistent performances for the United States team over the past few years. Rachael is currently ranked 9th on the ISU World Standings, the highest of all US female skaters. He was a 2008 Junior World Champion, 2008 and 2009 US silver medalist, and placed 5th at the 2009 World Championships. He has taken 2nd and 4th place in his Grand Prix stints in the last two seasons. Rachael has been working diligently to improve her skating speed, something that has been consistently criticized over the last few years, and she is working on an Axel triple, though I don’t know if it will be ready for this year’s competition or not. . Rachael is a very consistent jumper, and seeing her in training lately she seems ready to compete. Yes, I’m a huge Rachael Flatt fan, and don’t hesitate to admit it, so it’s hard not to be biased!
With the Olympics just 6 weeks away, and US Citizens starting in two weeks, it’s hot for American skaters to brush up on their program and show the world what they’ve got. It’s going to be an interesting few weeks, that’s for sure. Go Team US!