2012 U.S. Nationals: Preview
By Liz Leamy
Top Americans ready to make mark en route to Sochi
This week, the country’s finest appear to be geared up and ready to go as they convene in San Jose, California for the 2012 Prudential U.S. National Championships.
This event, reputed to be one of the greatest annual showdowns in the sport, will feature a host of skaters who should be in top fighting form, especially considering that the 2014 Sochi Olympics are only two years away. No doubt, they will want to make a good impression so they can eventually earn a coveted spot on the U.S. Olympic team.
This year’s Nationals ought to be particularly interesting due to the fact that most of the top contenders have been faced with some challenging situations and changes since being here at this event last year. These skaters have dealt with things such as physical ailments, life and coaching changes, reworking their mindset in regard to their jumping skills and reconsidering how competitive skating figures into their lives.
One of the biggest developments occurred when Ryan Bradley, the 2011 U.S. champion, announced his retirement from competitive skating following Worlds last spring, which leaves the top spot for the men wide open here.
Either way, these athletes ought to put on an exciting show this week, and help render a whole host of good stories and exciting memories.
Ladies
The ladies event should be especially interesting considering that the top 2011 U.S. ladies finishers, Alissa Czisny, Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu, have at some point, all dealt with their fair share of challenges over the past year.
Czisny, who famously claimed the 2011 U.S. title in a dramatic fashion, faced some recent physical challenges when she came up with a foot ailment during the Grand Prix Finals in December. (She still skated, however, and finished sixth.)
Despite this slight bump in the road, Czisny appears to be on a golden roll and ought to be good for a first-rate finish.
Rachael Flatt, the 2011 silver medallist, also seems poised to make her mark as she tries to claim her fifth U.S. World team berth.
Flatt made some major life changes this year and relocated her longtime training base from Colorado Springs to Oakland so that she could attend Stanford University as a full-time student.
This, combined with the fact that she had suffered from a minor foot injury in the fall, may have affected her strength and mindset during the Grand Prix events, where she had wound up ninth at both Skate Canada and the Rostelecom Cup.
Still, she is a fierce competitor who rose through the ranks due to her tenacity, so she definitely ought to be a force to be reckoned with here.
Mirai Nagasu, the talented and sometimes unpredictable 18-year old talent from Arcadia, California, is another main contender who could pull off a high finish here.
Nagasu, who was 14 when she claimed the 2008 National title, has wrestled with jump consistency over the years, yet always seems to come through under duress, especially when it’s a major event such as this one.
Agnes Zawadski of Colorado Springs, the 2011 U.S. fourth-place finisher, is another strong contender. This athlete, known for her superior jumping ability, is all about hitting it right on the right night.
She trains with David Santee and Christy Krall.
Ashley Wagner, who is coached by John Nicks in Mission Viejo, California and who was sixth last year, is another skater to consider.
Last fall, she brought home a bronze in Skate Canada and was fourth at the NHK Trophy in Japan and appears as determined as ever to reclaim a podium position at this event.
Christina Gao, who trains with Brian Orser in Toronto and is known for doing long, fluid triples, ought to generate some high scores here.
Men
The men’s event ought to be a good one considering that Ryan Bradley’s departure has left the title wide open for the taking.
Jeremy Abbott is a top seed and is armed with the highest-ranked competitive scorecard. Although he was fourth at the 2011 Nationals, he rebounded last fall with a gold-medal finish at the Cup of China and a bronze at the Rostelecom Cup. In December, he placed fifth in the Grand Prix Finals.
Reputed to be the quintessential ‘skater’s skater,’ all Abbott needs to do is pull off consecutive good performances in order to claim the title, something that appears to be likely based upon his recent finishes.
Richard Dornbush, the 2011 U.S. silver medallist, could also pull off a winning finish. This skater, known for his rock-solid triples, high speed, interesting artistry and fighting competitive spirit, is known to be great under pressure, especially at major events, which makes him a gold-medal candidate here. He trains with Tammy Gambill.
Adam Rippon, the two-time Junior World champion, is another medal contender here. This skater, who made a coaching change last year when he switched from Brian Orser in Toronto to Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen in Detroit, could easily claim a top spot as long as he stands up on his triple Axels.
So far, that prospect looks good. In the fall, Rippon finished fourth at Skate Canada and at Trophy Eric Bompard in Paris.
Brandon Mroz is also another contender at this event. Over the years, this Colorado-based skater has shown he’s got the golden goods and he could very well pull off a top finish as long as he can put together two solid performances.
Last year, he placed seventh in this event, but rebounded by making skating history in the summer when he landed a quad Lutz at a non-qualifying event. For that feat, Mroz was recognized as being the first skater to have ever executed a quad Lutz in competition by the International Skating Union.
Ross Miner, the always-entertaining 2011 U.S. bronze medallist, is another top seed to watch. This Boston-based contender is always a big crowd pleaser and is also reliable for putting on good performances at big events such as this one.