(6 Feb 2014) Jeremy Abbott, the 28-year old ‘veteran’ contender who skated one of the best short programs at any event ever to take the men’s title at the 2014 U.S. Championships in Boston three weeks ago, is as primed as ever to make another big splash in Sochi.

A four-time U.S. titlist known to be one of the most talented skaters around, Abbott knocked the proverbial ball out of the park with his performances in Boston and showed he will indeed be a formidable contender in the men’s event at the Olympics.

His short program in Boston was phenomenal and drew the attention of virtually everyone in the TD Arena including the security guards, featured an enormous quad/triple jump combination, triple Axel and amazing sit spin, among other things.

Since Boston, Abbott has been training harder than to have another great series of performances in Sochi.

“Training has been going really well,” said Abbott, who works with Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen in Detroit and qualified for the 2010 U.S. Olympic team. “I feel much more grounded [than ever] and like everything is right on track.”

In fact, Abbott said as soon as he stepped off the podium, he was thinking about Sochi.

“This time is very planned and different from last time and I think I know how to handle the pressure,” said Abbott, who had placed ninth in Vancouver. “We made a training plan over the past two years and have really stuck to it.”

The Aspen, Colorado native, who is known for his fantastic jumps, fast spins and gorgeous edges, is also determined to prove that he can perform as well outside of the U.S. as he does on domestic turf. (He has been known to skate great at nationals, but not always at his peak at some international events.)

“There’s no such thing as immediate success,” he said in a pre-Olympic conference call last week. “[It’s important to] have perseverance, don’t give up, push through it and keep working.”

This season, Abbott’s strength is as apparent in interviews as it is his skating, which makes the idea of winning an Olympic medal as a more likely possibility than ever.

“I think my skates in Boston were strong and I want to go and skate my best [in Sochi],” he said. “I want to give myself an opportunity to be on the podium.”

In order to insure success this season, Abbott and his coaches have been meticulous about everything in regard to his training, especially in the areas of nutrition, recovery and massage therapy. As a result, he was able to focus more effectively then ever his job out on the ice, which is what it all comes down to anyway.

“Since I’m one of the older men in competition, we’ve been a lot smarter about on-ice training overall,” he said. “I’m going out there and looking to skate the same way as I did in Boston as well or if not better.”

At the end of the day, Abbott’s experience, wisdom, skills and outlook comprise all the effective tools necessary to achieve a great Olympic dream.